Intersecting Lines Book 2
by unicorn1111
Summary: Sequel to Intersecting Lines, but you don't need to have read that to enjoy this. Jane and Maura have accepted the invitation to stay in Los Angeles with the LAPD, now they have to deal with the risks and rewards of their careers while planning their life together. Cameos are to be expected and I hope to stick to a chapter posted every two days till complete
1. Chapter 1

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**01 Introduction**

Hi and welcome to Book Two of this story.

Intersecting Lines Book Two is a continuation of my first posted story, Intersecting Lines, which grew significantly larger than I had ever imagined when I started out; 100 chapters in all.

I realise that may seem a bit daunting to new readers so I thought I should provide a really short synopsis of Book 1 to help ease you into this story.

Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles, about seven months after moving from friends to lovers, have taken a secondment in Los Angeles to give their relationship a chance to grow far from Boston and the often hostile attention their relationship has brought; Maura to take over the Medical Examiner's role for the Los Angeles Police Department and Jane as a detective assigned to the LAPDs Major Crimes squad, under Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (The Closer).

There they meet Natalie Dearing, the LAPDs new media manager and her partner Anastasia Romanov, the newly assigned FBI Liaison Officer to the LAPD. During the next several months a friendship grows between them which in turn expands to take in Brenda Leigh Johnson and her close friend Sharon Raydor, the head of Force Investigation Division, the section that investigates officer-involved shootings.

With the help and active encouragement of all four, Brenda and Sharon build upon their friendship; both are single and lonely and are encouraged to act upon their potential as a couple, Sharon having previously been involved with a woman. Overcoming their misgivings and fears, Sharon and Brenda have embarked on a relationship while working together to investigate a series of suspicious shootings at the hands of two detectives, members of the LAPD's Robbery / Homicide squad.

During their time in Los Angeles, Jane and Maura were instrumental in closing several major cases, including a deranged sniper; a drug-cartel linked mass shooting and a car bombing at the LAPD Annual Ball. Following an invitation from Deputy Chief Johnson, they have decided to stay in Los Angeles and build a new life for themselves there.

Intersecting Lines Book 1 ended at midnight on New Year's Eve, when Jane proposed to Maura in front of their closest friends, Olivia Benson and Alex Cabot (Law and Order: SVU) visiting from New York, Anastasia and Natalie and Brenda and Sharon.

If you would like some backstory to Jane and Maura and Olivia and Alex getting together, please read my short story 'Hearts on the Shopping Block', which deals with that specific event.

Other stories dealing with the people of 'Intersecting Lines' can be found in my series of short stories posted as 'Intersecting Lines; Possession and Passion' and a new series I am about to post, 'Intersecting Lines: Drabbles'.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you decide to join me on their journey.

Mike


	2. Chapter 2

****Authors note: ****The usual disclaimers apply, the characters depicted within this story are fictional, with all rights retained by their respective rights holders. We appreciate your creative work and the talents of the actors who bring these characters to life, we're just having some fun with them.

****Intersecting Lines Book 2****

**02 Lunch**

Maura's viewpoint

Since taking up our secondment, now our permanent relocation, to Los Angeles my daily routine has changed quite significantly.

Once, as the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I was head of a small team and handling most of the work myself, a professionally and personally satisfying situation. Now, given Los Angeles County has more people than all of Massachusetts, the vastly larger volume of work generated means that I spend at least as much time on administration, personnel issues and mentoring my much larger staff as I do on actually conducting autopsies.

For a while I had found myself unconsciously delegating the most difficult and interesting cases to myself, until I realised that I was depriving my team of valuable experience. From that time on I had started passing difficult cases across to my assistant Medical Examiners, once I assessed they were ready to deal with the work and that I was confident in their level of detail and competency. I made sure that I assisted them with their first few, before stepping back and observing the next few difficult cases, discussing their findings afterwards and suggesting areas for improvement they should be conscious of.

I did not completely enjoy stepping back like that, but it was part of my role to be a mentor and encourage their professional and personal growth so I did it nonetheless. The exceptions were cases for Major Crimes and Force Investigation. Both dealt with high profile issues and deserved the best that my office could provide; the fact that I had a personal stake in both divisions was unspoken but appreciated by my team, for which I was grateful.

Another and far more welcome change to my daily routine is my schedule of lunches and other activities. Back in Boston I would either have lunch with Jane or if she was not available I would sit and eat in my office, usually while catching up on my professional reading or perhaps shopping online.

Now however my lunches were usually spent with Jane, sometimes alone and sometimes with our friends. Most often it would be my friend Natalie, the LAPD media manager, at other times her partner Anastasia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's liaison officer to the LAPD would join us, Thursday's were a standing lunch date with the Head of Major Crimes, Brenda Leigh Johnson, while her partner Sharon Raydor of Force Investigation Division and I had an agreement to go running early Wednesday morning's before work, our schedule's permitting.

Natalie and I will often go shopping or take in a movie on the weekends if we are not otherwise catching up, though given Brenda and Sharon and Natalie and Anastasia seem to be entertaining us as often as we do them, our weekends are often busy socialising.

Every second Saturday Brenda and I get together for a few hours of tennis, an activity that Jane also sometimes partakes in, though under protest, she prefers time in the gym and martial arts sparring, understandable given the nature of her job. As Jane once stated she wanted to spend her exercise time doing things that helped her deal with criminals and as she had not yet found a need to serve and volley a criminal into submission, sparring it was.

Usually Anastasia would join her for which I was grateful. Jane often went toe to toe with her male colleagues; what she surrendered in height, reach, strength and body mass she made up for in skill and sheer aggression.

Natalie and I had surreptitiously made our way down to the LAPD gym one afternoon to watch them spar, curious to see them in training. Quite frankly the sight had terrified me, they fought with the same dedication they brought to everything else, brutally vicious in its intensity. I was just thankful that both Natalie and I had insisted early on in their training regimen on full contact safety equipment as any error could have seen them badly injured, especially when they started training with knives and other hand-to-hand weapons.

Several other officers there watching them had quietly explained to us that very few people were prepared to spar with them more than once, newcomers would come in, see them looking hot and sweaty and to be honest, quite frankly stunning and challenge them, thinking it was a way to get close to two beautiful women, only to find themselves on the wrong end of a embarrassing thrashing.

That night, I told Jane that I had witnessed her sparring session and asked her what was driving her and Anastasia to such extremes; she'd looked at me for a moment before replying that it was their job and they needed to stay sharp, same as I did, I had my journals, they had their sparring. I knew it wasn't the whole reason but chose not to pry.

Natalie told me several days later that she had also asked Anastasia, who had attempted to deflect her questioning, but had eventually admitted that following an incident where Natalie had been endangered by several gang members and Anastasia and Jane had been forced to fight to protect her, they had decided that if the same situation ever arose again, the need to protect Natalie or I, the situation would be over much more quickly.

Remembering back to that incident, not long after we had first moved to LA, I recalled that Jane and Anastasia had dealt with it quickly and efficiently, obviously they did not agree and the sessions such as we had witnessed were the result. While I sincerely hoped such an occasion would never arise, I almost felt sorry for anyone foolish enough to rouse their protective wrath.

Fortunately that requirement had not come up again, Natalie and I had avoided such situations and simply appreciated the ever more impressively fit and toned physiques of our lovers. Jane's dedication in the gym had paid obvious results; her body was an ever more impressive work of art that I had come to enjoy immensely.

In fact I drifted back to last night, where I had spent an inordinate amount of time paying attention to Jane's impressive muscular development, including her abdominal musculature. I'd always appreciated her body but now it was even more spectacular…

"Earth to Maura, hello, are you receiving our transmissions?" Startled, I looked up and focussed on the smirking face of my friend Natalie across the lunch table. I must have 'zoned out' on her as Jane would put it.

"Oh, I am sorry Natalie, please excuse me, I let myself get distracted" If anything the smirk got wider.

"From the look on your face the distraction had something to do with Jane didn't it" I felt my cheeks heat slightly, certain I was blushing.

"Well…" From the look on her face I knew Natalie was seeing right through me. "Yes, it did"

"Thought so, don't worry, I'm appreciating Ana just as much as you are Jane; she's even more delicious than I was used to before she started working out. Jane's told her she wants to be in top condition for when you walk down the aisle, whenever that is"

I smiled at the thought, Jane had always been stunning, now she was even more so. I glanced down at the ring adorning my finger, my engagement ring. Jane had placed that ring on my finger a month ago, as midnight struck on New Year's Eve. The ring, a Georg Jenson creation, mixed red gold and yellow gold outer rings with a diamond-encrusted centre ring, locked together so that the three rings formed an unbreakable whole.

Jane had explained later that night that it symbolised two very different people, from different worlds, coming together and becoming one, bound by love and marriage; Jane Rizzoli, a closet romantic. She goes far out of her way to hide it but Jane has a strong sense of romance hidden deep within her, though she would probably suggest it's her Italian heritage, before turning it to a joke.

"Have you come to a decision? You weren't sure if you wanted quiet and intimate, or a full family wedding" She grinned at me. "Personally if I was you I'd probably just elope, disappear for a couple of weeks somewhere no one can find you and spend the whole time naked, just you and her" I smiled, the thought was very tempting.

"Why would you suggest we elope?"

"Well a small wedding works, your friends here, your friends from back in Boston, Alex and Maura from New York, its not going to be a production. That is unless you start inviting the extended Rizzoli family clan, according to Jane there's hundreds of them all up and down the east coast". She shuddered theatrically. "That would be a production. Better to skip that and just disappear" I looked across at her.

"What about Anastasia and you, what do you want for your wedding" She pursed her lips for a moment in thought.

"Small, Ana has no living relatives she's close to, some cousins but she hasn't seen them in years. It'd be just friends. You and Jane, Alex and Liv, Sharon and Brenda, some of the people we work with, my parents, they're kinda Ana's parents now, have been since her dad died. That'd pretty much be it. Oh yeah, my sister Lauren, she'd kill me if she wasn't there" I smiled.

"I would like to meet your sister and your parents one day, they seem lovely from what you and Ana have told us"

"We're hardly unbiased observers, but I think they'd love you too. They did mention last Christmas that they were kinda looking forward to seeing us married and having some grand kids they could spoil"

"Do you want to get married?"

"Hell yeah, it's just been inertia, we've been together for four years now, it feels like we already are, it's just a ceremony to make official how we already feel" She chuckled. "Ana's pretty pissed at Jane over her whole proposal thing though, reckons she's a hard act to follow" I smiled.

"Alex told me much the same a few days later; apparently Olivia was out of sorts for several days afterwards. When Alex finally confronted her about it, Olivia admitted that she was at a loss as to how to top Jane's proposal" I chuckled. "Alex told her that it did not matter when or where, as she put it, 'if you like it you should put a ring on it', or something to that effect" Natalie chuckled softly.

"Sounds like Alex. So you were going to talk to Jane about how long an engagement you were going to have. What's the verdict?" I smiled at the memory of that discussion.

"Jane, as you would expect, is happy with anything that makes me happy" Natalie rolled her eyes, making me smile even wider. "But she did agree with my suggestion that our engagement should last at least one year. Neither of us wants a winter wedding so it will probably be in either late spring or early summer next year"

"Nice, keep it small and intimate, then a long honeymoon somewhere far, far from work"

"I would prefer it to be small, just the people we care about" Natalie smiled, which led me into my next question. I really was being rather silly; I knew the answer before I asked but still... "Natalie, it is traditional to have bridesmaids, to stand with the bride. I was wondering if..."

"Yes" I looked up at her interruption.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Yes, Alex and I will be your bridesmaids, we'd love to" I blinked and then smiled.

"If you are willing to I would love to have you there with me"

"You don't really have a choice" I frowned; I wasn't following her and told her as much.

"Maura, Alex and I, we'd kill anyone who got between you and us on the day, so really there's no one else available, especially if we let it be known that anyone looking for the job is courting death. You're stuck with us both" I smiled as I felt something well up inside me.

"Oh Natalie, there is no one I would rather have than you and Alex..." I frowned at her. "You have already discussed it, Alex and you, you have!"

"We may have discussed it, the night Jane proposed and a few times since" She shrugged nonchalantly. "It's traditional to have your closest friends, so that's us" I nodded, trying to not show how much her words had affected me. Alex and Natalie were the closest thing to sisters I'd ever had, they were there for me, just as I was there for them. That truth humbled me a little.

"Traditionally, the bridesmaids were part of a group of up to ten people, in Roman times it was considered important to have that many to outsmart evil spirits bent on harm to the newlyweds, everyone would dress similarly to confuse the spirits and prevent them learning who was getting married" I shrugged a little sheepishly. "It is an old tradition, descended from superstition, but I would feel lost without you both there" Natalie grinned.

"We'll be there; as for any evil spirits, with that many cops there, well an arrest for public nuisance ought to take care of them" We shared a smile. "Now on to more important things; Alex and I will organise the bridal shower and bachelorette party, plus we're going to help you look for a wedding dress. Unless you're going to get one designed for you that is?" I shook my head.

"I really do not know; I rather like the idea of having something unique for our wedding" Natalie nodded.

"What about Jane, wedding dress or a suit?" I laughed at the image of Jane in a wedding dress, as Natalie's rueful chuckle joined me.

"Natalie, can you honestly see Jane in a traditional wedding dress?" She shook her head.

"Not a chance, though she'd look amazing. So that's settled, a suit; well that's the first thing taken care of"

"One down, innumerable more to go I suspect"

"You're only going to do this once Maura, so we've got to do it right"


	3. Chapter 3

**Intersecting Lines Book 2 **

**03 Covert Investigations**

Brenda's viewpoint

Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson looked at her companions and sighed before she leaned back and ran her hands through her blonde hair. It was late and all she wanted to do was head home and relax after a long day, but there was still work to do. Looking at her companion, she spoke.

"So, do we have anything more that we can try and run down?" Special Agent Anastasia Romanov, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Liaison to the LAPD shifted in her chair and shrugged as she smiled somewhat ruefully.

"The Justice Department vouches for all of their people, as you'd expect. I can understand it from their perspective. How would you react if someone from Justice walked in and told you a member of your team was selling you out? You'd be a tad inclined to doubt them too" I frowned; I could hear the exasperation in her voice, something I could understand, it didn't stop the sigh that escaped my lips.

"I know, I know, it's just we've proven a link between Kennedy and Powell and the murder of at least three of Justice's protected witnesses" I shook my head. "They have to be getting info from someone inside Justice, what more do they need for heaven's sake?"

"We have a supposition honey, backed up by some strong circumstantial evidence, but nothing that conclusively says murder, especially in front of a jury" Commander Sharon Raydor, the LAPD's Force Investigation Division head smiled at Brenda. Despite the late hour she still looked her usual glamorously impeccable self, her dark suit unwrinkled and not a hair out of place. "It looks very strong to us, but not so much to anyone else" Sharon looked more than a little embarrassed. "Even my own initial investigations of their shootings cleared Kennedy and Powell" She snorted. "It's going to be very awkward when I have to turn around and have to explain that those shootings were dirty and I missed it"

"Sharon, you investigated and closed those cases on the basis of the information you had at the time" I leaned forward. "It was only when we went back and had a good look at all the evidence after Dimery's shooting that the Rodriguez and Garcia shootings looked suspect" Sharon shrugged.

"That's not what Chief Pope or the media will say" I smiled reassuringly, William Pope, the LAPDs Chief of Police was my problem.

"You leave Pope to me sweetie, as for the media, well that's Natalie's job" Anastasia smiled, it was her partner they were talking about after all.

"Nat and I have had a few discussions about this case since you briefed me in. She'll be there for you when you need her Sharon" Both women smiled at Ana, appreciating the offer before Sharon remembered something.

"That reminds me, we're going to need to brief someone else in, to do some of the leg work" Sharon frowned. "People see you or me chasing up files they're bound to notice, same with you Ana. We need someone to do the running around" Sharon paused. "Probably better if it's someone from Major Crimes, cops tend to remember a visit from a FID officer" I nodded, it was a good point.

"Probably either Sanchez or Jane" I thought about it for a bit. "Probably Jane, given Maura's already aware that we're looking into the case, so it kinda keeps it in the family" Ana and Sharon exchanged a look and Sharon nodded.

Might as well do it now, if she's still here" I thought about it for a moment.

"I understand Maura's doing an autopsy on a gang banger drive-by that'll keep her back late so Jane's not going anywhere until she's finished" Sharon and Ana both smiled, they understood Jane's protective instinct when it came to Maura, it was an essential part of her nature. I pulled out my phone and found Jane's number on speed dial, asking her to make her way down to Sharon's office.

A few minutes later Jane walked in, looking round before spotting us. Greetings were exchanged before we got her seated and I kicked it off.

"Jane, we asked you down here to bring you up to speed on a case Sharon and I have been investigating, we may need your help" Jane looked around at all three of us, then leaned forward, her elbows on her knees.

"Sure, what's up?" Sharon leaned forward, resting her elbows on her desk.

"It's an internal affairs investigation; looking into other officer's conduct. You've not worked those before have you?" Jane looked back and nodded once.

"Not officially, but I was part of an investigation into some crooked cops back home" She grimaced. "Back in Boston I mean. They were working for the Irish mob" I nodded.

"Ok, at least you have some idea of the constraints we're working under. This one's tricky" I glanced at Sharon and she took up the story.

"Force Investigation was called in to investigate an Officer Involved Shooting by two Robbery / Homicide officers, Sergeant Gerry Kennedy and his partner Detective Aiden Powell. Following an anonymous tip they'd gone to the residence of a suspect, Robert Dimery where, according to the testimony of both officers Dimery pulled a gun on them and they shot in self-defence" Jane raised an eyebrow.

"The fact were having this discussion tells me something's off" Sharon and I both nodded before Sharon continued.

"The evidence didn't stack up. Maura's autopsy suggested that Dimery was fatally shot while crouched down partly facing away from the shooter, the other shots hit him as he was falling" Jane nodded but stayed silent. "The weapon that Dimery had supposedly pulled was a .22 handgun, one that seemed out of character for a supposed suspect in a number of violent crimes. It turned out that Dimery did in fact have a number of other weapons, including an Uzi hidden in the unit, plus a bulletproof vest" Jane looked interested but said nothing.

"Ballistics found that none of Dimery's weapons matched any of the forensics at the crimes Robbery / Homicide was investigating. In addition the .22 was poorly maintained, unlike the rest of the weapons in the apartment" Jane nodded. "The weapon did however turn up in our records as belonging to an owner killed in a robbery gone wrong eighteen months prior. The weapon was never found" Jane's eyes narrowed as she took that in.

"Who investigated that robbery?" I shared a knowing look with Sharon; Jane was always quick off the mark.

"It was a Robbery / Homicide case" Sharon smiled at Jane's insight. "The lead officer was one Sergeant Gerry Kennedy" Jane nodded slowly and sat back.

"Sorry, go on" Sharon nodded.

"There were enough inconsistencies that we couldn't close the Dimery case so I listed it as an open finding and there it lay, but Brenda and I discussed it and we decided to keep digging, seeing what we could find" I leaned forward, taking up the story.

"We worked out that Dimery was apparently in Witness Protection, Maura found evidence of significant cosmetic surgery to change his appearance. We later confirmed this with the Justice Department" Jane nodded at my words, if Maura was certain of something work-related you could take that to the bank, or the judge.

"So it looks like something, but it could also be a coincidence" At that Ana smiled and joined the conversation.

"Once yes, but three times?" Jane's head swung to look at her, her eyes widening in surprise.

"You're shitting me right?" Sharon shook her head sadly.

"Unfortunately no, we looked back into Detective Kennedy's past and identified two other OIS investigations where Kennedy had shot and killed suspects who apparently pulled weapons on him. Both had been identified by anonymous tip offs" Jane's mouth twisted into a grimace.

"Once might be a coincidence…"

"But three times, no way" I shook my head. "Justice confirmed that both of the other victims were also in WitSec" Ana took up the story.

"According to Justice, all three were former members of the Sinaloa Cartel; they each turned over against the cartel and were given new identities here in Los Angeles" She shrugged. "It's a huge city with a sizeable Latino population so it's easy for people to disappear here" Jane rubbed her hands together as she thought it through, then glanced up at me.

"Ok, I can see why you're looking into it, what do you need me to do?" I smiled at her direct approach, that was quintessentially Jane.

"At this point it's a bit of a precaution; we may need you to look into things for us. People will talk if Brenda and I are asking; same if it's the FBI liaison. FID people get noticed so better someone from Major Crimes, particularly if they're new and don't have a profile" Jane nodded, idly toying with the scar on one palm, I'd noticed she did it unconsciously when she was stressed or thinking.

"Sure, whatever you need. So where do we go from here?" Sharon took up the thread.

"Well, we're trying to work out how they got identified in the first place, Justice's WitSec program security's pretty tight but somehow three people all got found and killed" Jane looked thoughtful, her eyes focused on something far away, a memory.

"Yeah, that's what we found back in Boston. We had a WitSec-related case too and Justice didn't want to talk. It has to be an inside job" Ana smiled.

"Yeah, we were discussing that back before you arrived, though Justice vouches for all their people, says it can't be there" There were frowns all round, though I inwardly smiled as I noticed Jane frowning too. She was too good a detective to not get sucked in by a case like this, something she could sink her teeth into.

"What's the story on his partner, Powell?" Sharon nodded.

"Powell's had two OIS during the period we're looking at, but backed up by the info from Kennedy they were both originally signed off as righteous shootings; self-defense" Jane sat there for a moment, thinking hard.

"So all of Kennedy's shootings were of former Sinaloa members" I nodded as she pursed her lips. "Back in Boston, if lots of people who ratted out a gang started turning up dead, we'd be looking at someone inside the gang taking care of business. In this case you're suggesting Kennedy's doing it for them…" She looked round and Sharon nodded. "…then maybe they're getting him to clean up some of their other messes as well. "You might want to go back and have another look at Powell's OIS again" Sharon and I exchanged glances as Ana replied.

"There's no love lost between the cartels and people they consider traitors, it's certainly true they'd like them dead" Jane was about to say something when her phone pinged, announcing a text message. Pulling it out with an apologetic look Jane scrolled down and smiled.

"Maura's finished up so she's ready to go" She looked round at us. "We have an appointment to go look at a house" I nodded as Sharon spoke.

"Find anything suitable so far?" Jane and Maura, since their decision to relocate permanently out to Los Angeles had been looking for a new house to buy, so far it had been more than a month and nothing suitable had been found.

"No, there's either something wrong, it's too far from work, too big for us, needs too much work to bring it up to standard or it doesn't meet Maura's criteria" Sharon frowned.

"What criteria are they?" Jane shrugged a little sheepishly.

"Proximity to a good child care facility, quality schools, that sort of thing" She smiled softly. "Maura likes to plan ahead" I smiled as well, that was so very her.

"Well better to have everything just as you want it, heaven knows you don't want to move more often than you have to" She sighed.

"No argument here. I kinda like where we are, it'd mean we only have to ship the rest of our stuff from Boston" Sharon looked over from where she was locking things up.

"I take it there's a problem?"

"Yeah, the owner doesn't want to sell; a shame really, I like the place we're in now" I had to agree, their current house was beautiful and airy, it was a lovely home for them both and a wonderful home to raise children. I smiled to match the encouraging words.

"Well this one might be the one, if not, well the home you have now is still there for as long as you need to lease it" Jane nodded.

"No argument there" She checked her watch again. "Time I was gone if we're to meet the agent" I checked my own watch, it was after seven.

"Sounds like a good plan, we can catch up in a few days when we have more" We all stood and gathered our things preparatory to leaving, before Jane spoke again.

"I might make a suggestion" At Jane's comment my head came up.

"Hmm?"

"The investigation I was involved in, back in Boston? I was brought in because they thought someone in the BPDs Evidence area was selling weapons marked for destruction back out onto the street; turns out a cop working there was selling them back to the mob. The kicker was he wasn't the only dirty cop involved. You might want to look a bit wider than just Kennedy and Powell" I glanced over at Sharon, to see her eyebrows rise at the thought. I chewed it over for a moment then looked back at Jane.

"It's possible" Jane nodded towards Ana.

"Get Ana to run all the Robbery / Homicide OIS names through the Witsec database, you might turn up some more" I thought that over and exchanged another glance with Sharon, who nodded slowly. I frowned.

"You think that's possible?" Sharon shrugged.

"I suppose it could be" Jane stood there, a rueful expression on her face.

"It's been my experience that where's there's one rotten apple, there's usually more"


	4. Chapter 4

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**04 Home Invasion**

Brenda's viewpoint

Another day, another call out, it was early evening in Santa Clarita and we were responding to a call to a multiple homicide at what looked uncomfortably like a home invasion gone wrong.

We'd had a spate of these across LA, targeting wealthy members of the city's Asian community, five houses had now been hit by a group of men wearing ski masks, but definitely identified as Asian.

In each case they'd been quick, brutal and effective, stealing money, jewelry and expensive items like iPads, laptops and such. The usual pattern was they were in and out in only a couple of minutes.

Commander Taylor's people in Robbery / Homicide had been investigating them and getting nowhere when the fourth house had been hit; Pope had pulled Taylor off the case and assigned it to Major Crimes, once again doing wonderful things for relations between both squads.

We'd started going over all the evidence, looking for patterns and connections between the victims, all of whom were reasonably wealthy, successful families, not super rich but the sort of immigrant success stories that people talk about when they think of the American dream.

The third attack had shown an uptick in violence. The oldest daughter of the family was a stunningly attractive young woman who probably should have been a model but had been studying to be a CPA to join her father's accounting firm.

She'd been pack-raped in her own bedroom, leaving her completely traumatised. It seemed that the rape had been a spur of the moment thing as none of her attackers had been wearing a condom, leaving plenty of DNA evidence, plus a young woman desperate to make sure she hadn't conceived.

Testing had identified five different DNA markers from the rape kit results, unfortunately none of them were in the CODIS database, so we were still chasing clues as to their identity.

The fourth house to be hit had been worse still, they'd been much rougher with the family, hitting the father across the head with a hard object when he'd tried to stop them raping his wife and fifteen year old daughter, unfortunately the hit to the head had started a major internal bleed and he'd died at the scene. We were now hunting a group of killers.

The crime lab had managed to narrow down the weapon to a hard, tapering cylindrical object, possibly wooden. The general consensus was it was possibly a martial arts weapon, tying in with the theory that an Asian crime gang was involved.

Now we were out for a fifth attack and it bore most of the same hallmarks. The front door smashed in with a battering ram like most of the other attacks and a delivery van spotted leaving the scene by a curious neighbor, the same as the second and fourth attacks.

What wasn't the same were the dead bodies throughout the house. The entire family was dead, along with a blood trail leading outside. The first LA County Sherriff's deputy's on the scene had checked that everyone was dead and then backed out, leaving the scene for us.

Flynn and Provenza had been the first to arrive and had things well in hand by the time the rest of us arrived, with Flynn bringing us up to speed as he led us through the house.

"Chief, it appears that when the attackers smashed the door in, the father was in the bedroom, he must have grabbed a shotgun from the closet and moved towards the door" Flynn nodded to the doorway. "He caught one attacker as he came through the bedroom door and shot him" He indicated a sizeable blood spatter across the wall opposite the door. "Based on the size of the spatter, if the suspect wasn't dead immediately, he won't live long" I nodded, a shotgun blast to the torso at that range would blow a significant hole through anyone not wearing a vest. Flynn gestured further down the hall.

"Looks like the father, Eddy Shimamura, moved towards the front of the house and got a second shot off, wounding a second attacker" He indicated a second, much smaller blood spatter. Sanchez nodded.

"Gutsy play, take on who knows how many with a shotgun" Jane looked up from where she was kneeling, examining the mess on the wall and nodded.

"The local Asian community's scared shitless over these invasions; apparently their media's been full of it, especially the rapes. Figure the father wanted to be prepared to defend his family" I nodded.

"Understandable reaction, but it appears to have cost them their lives. Please continue Lieutenant" Flynn nodded and moved down the hall.

"It then appears that another suspect came around that corner behind him and fired a shot, probably a 9 mil or maybe a 45 based on the entry wound in the back, knocking Mister Shimamura to the ground" He gestured to where I could see a body lying there in a wide pool of blood. "Then at least two people stood there and pumped shots into the father, as you can see they were close enough to be accurate"

Walking closer, I could see he was right, most of the shots were in the shoulders, neck and the back and side of the head, at least half a dozen shots from a 9 mm and what might have been a 45. I looked up at the rest of the team.

"A lot of anger here gentlemen" There were shoe prints tracked through the blood, more evidence to be added to the collection, together with the shell casings lying around. "What happened then?" Provenza gestured towards the kitchen.

"Best guess so far is that they herded the rest of the family into the kitchen, before someone, probably one of the people who shot the father, based on the bloody shoe prints, walked over and shot the family one by one.

I could see an older woman, probably the mother, two teenage girls and an elderly woman, an aunt or grandmother perhaps, all lying around the kitchen and dining room, it looked like the girls had been shot first, they hadn't had time to run, then the mother, who had made it into the dining room before a shot to the head killed her. The grandmother had tried to run to the back door, the first shot hadn't killed her, the blood trail behind her showed she'd dragged herself a few feet before a second shot to the head had ended her attempt at life. Sanchez shook his head, his expression hard.

"Killing four women in cold blood, that's stone" David knelt down and examined the floor.

"Chief, drops of blood here, tracking with the foot prints, figure the one who did this might have been the second person hit by the father" Provenza nodded.

"The father wings him, not enough to kill him, but enough to hurt, then the wounded suspect, in a rage, takes it out on the family" Flynn nodded in agreement.

"WeI'll get an alert out to all hospitals and medical centers looking for anyone admitted for treatment for a shotgun wound" Tao looked up from where he had been examining the floor near the door.

"I think we'll only find the second suspect. Based on the amount of blood on the wall and these smears by the door where they probably dragged him out, the father's first target isn't going to live long" I nodded as I looked around. Outside I could see the team from the Medical Examiner's office outside but no Maura. I turned to Jane.

"Detective Rizzoli, do you know where Doctor Isles is? She's normally not this late" Jane nodded.

"Yeah, she and Natalie were out in Santa Monica looking at houses when the call came through, they should be here soon" I nodded, despite how it felt at times, we were allowed to have a life.

"OK everyone. Lieutenant Tao, please oversee SIS's work here at the scene, there's a lot of evidence here and I don't want anything missed. Lieutenant Flynn, if you could get that alert out to all hospitals and medical centres I'd appreciate it" They nodded. "Lieutenant Provenza, could you please interview the neighbor who spotted the van departing the scene, Detective's Sanchez and Rizzoli, could you please start checking with the other neighbors to see if they have anything" I looked round.

"Sargent Gabriel, with me please"

I suddenly looked up as the growl of a high-powered engine grew quickly louder, to see Maura's silver Mercedes convertible pull up across the road, Maura and Natalie stepping out, neither of them in their normal work attire. Maura was wearing a burgundy satin top, a leather jacket with a matching black leather pencil skirt that highlighted her shape and a pair of black patent leather strappy heels that had to be at least five inches high. Natalie was equally stunning, wearing a red blazer over a white dress that ended above the knees with a bold black floral print and red spike heels. They quickly made their way over to the house past the waiting media and through a curious throng of deputies who turned to watch them as they passed.

"Evening Chief, sorry we're late" Maura was equally apologetic.

"Good evening Chief Johnson, my apologies for the delay" I looked at them as Maura fitted shoe covers and pulled on gloves at the door.

"I heard you were in Santa Monica, how did you get here so quickly for heaven's sake?" Natalie nodded at Maura.

"It turns out Maura's Mercedes isn't just for show and she did race car driver's lessons for a reason" I caught Jane's grin out of the corner of my eye as Maura's cheeks suddenly bloomed red. David shook his head.

"How did you not get pulled over on the way?" Maura's blush deepened as Natalie smiled.

"We did" I smothered a smile as David grinned openly.

"You badged your way out of it didn't you?" If Maura's blush deepened any further she'd be redder than her top.

"Well, it was an urgent call to a crime scene so Natalie insisted that making all possible speed was justified" I smirked.

"How fast were you going when you were pulled over?" She looked around at our expectant faces and blushed again.

"I was careful to stay within the capabilities of both the car and my abilities as a driver and traffic on the freeway was light..." I raised one eyebrow as Maura trailed off, then waited her out, it didn't take long. "We were travelling at approximately 105 miles per hour at the point Officer Whittaker commenced his pursuit on the San Diego Freeway" Now it was my jaw that dropped. What was that about books and their covers...? David was equally surprised, before composing himself.

"So he just let you go after you badged him?" Maura shook her head.

"He recognised us from the LAPD Ball some months back and after we explained where we were going and why he told us to try and keep it under 80 from then on" Natalie jumped in.

"He also called it in so we got here without being pulled over again"

I noticed Jane was wearing a proud smile as I looked away before I let my own grin out; Sharon was going to love this story. Finally I sobered and gestured back towards the house.

"Regrettably there's a family inside that needs your attention Doctor Isles" Maura nodded and hefted her bag, nodding at me and sharing a look with Jane before making her way to her team. I stood there for a moment as everyone headed off to do their jobs before turning to Natalie.

"105? Really?" She smiled proudly.

"Yep, she's actually very good, I wasn't scared at all, but that's Maura for you, a bundle of surprises" I nodded. It pretty much summed her up. I sighed; back to business.

"It certainly looks like the same home invasion crew we've been chasing, except this time they killed the entire family" Her face hardened as she nodded. "It also looks like two of the suspects were hit with shotgun blasts, one seriously. We need to get that out to the media, the usual call for witnesses or potential leads on the suspects"

Natalie nodded, taking it all in. Since she'd come on board she'd been a blessing, keeping the media off our backs and improving our relations with them no end. After hearing me out and making sure I'd finished she spoke.

"The Asian-language media's going nuts as you know Chief; this latest one's going to send them into spasms" I nodded ruefully. Pope was already catching shit from the Mayor's office over this and it rapidly made its way from his office to mine without losing any of its smell. I looked at her and raised an eyebrow, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"I know you don't really like media interviews, but we may need to consider a couple of sit down interviews with some of the biggest Asian-language media, trying to keep a lid on it" I frowned, she was right, I really don't like media interviews, they have a habit of getting off track. Natalie saw it and smiled, putting her hand on my forearm.

"It'd be fairly tightly scripted with plenty of prior agreements with them about what you can and can't talk about it, but one on one should be easily to control" She shrugged. "It's also easier for your natural personality to come out, less of the stressful circus that a media conference usually degenerates into about these sorts of crimes" I felt my mouth twist in annoyance; I really didn't like dealing with the media. Finally I sighed.

"You really think it'll help?" She shrugged.

"I won't lie, it won't make the problem go away, especially if we get another dead family like this, but it'll slow down the panic and buy us some time" I grimaced, Natalie never pulled punches when it came to her job, never sugar-coated it. Still, I trusted her the same way I trusted my team, she wouldn't suggest anything if she didn't think it was necessary.

"Ok, set them up, please no more than three?" She nodded. "And let Chief Pope know I'm going to take them, it might make him back off for a bit" She smiled, a little sardonically.

"Yeah right; as if. I'll let the Mayor's media people know as well, that might get them to stop leaning on Pope so hard, which would make all our lives easier"

"We live in hope Natalie, we live in hope" She smiled and stepped back, leaving me to get back to my job as she headed out to the media crews standing beyond the police tape to do hers. Speaking of which I turned to David who was waiting patiently.

"Sergeant Gabriel, would you please check with the delivery company, check if any of their vans were reported stolen. If we find that van there's a good chance we'll find one of our suspects, given the amount of blood back there" David nodded, taking notes as I continued.

"Also see if we can pull any traffic surveillance tapes leading out of the area, they might give us some better information about where they headed and possibly a license number. I paused for a moment to think of anything else when I heard two deputies speaking a few feet away on the other side of a hedge.

"Holy shit Danny, did you see the ass on that blonde in the leather skirt, betcha she'd be a fantastic fuck"

"Nah, too stuck up for my tastes, gimme the one in the red, she looks like she'd be plenty of fun"

My ears pricked up at the conversation. I disliked sexist comments at the best of times; I'd heard enough of them in my career, often from criminals who thought with their dick, not their brain.

In this case it was a pair of deputies who really should have known better. They were just fortunate Jane hadn't heard them, or Anastasia if she'd been here, both of them would have sorted them out quick smart. The deputies hadn't finished.

"Suit yourself; I'd happily fuck both of them, maybe both at the same time, that'd be a blast"

"Yeah, a blonde sandwich"

I caught David looking at me with a carefully neutral expression, as he waited for my reaction.

"They both look like they need a good meal, too skinny for my taste, feed them some of my prime A-grade American beef"

"I think one's a lezzie though, I heard she's married or something to a dyke cop" I felt my temper starting to burn.

"That's a crying shame, maybe she needs a good fuck from a real man, show her what she's missing" I could see David cringe at their words as I moved to step around the bushes. "She just needs a taste of my dick to fuck her right"

"Excuse me Deputies, may I have a word please?" I saw them both jump a little at my words, then turn. The slightly older one, whose name tag read Kelly, looked me up and down and smiled a bit smarmily.

"Sure Miss…" I smiled.

"Johnson" He started to say something when I cut him off. "Deputy Chief Johnson actually" I saw his expression abruptly change, trepidation replacing the smile, giving me a small, dark pleasure. "I couldn't help but overhear your so very enlightened comments about several of my LAPD colleagues"

"Uh…yeah" I glanced across to the younger one, Harris, who was looking apprehensive.

"We didn't mean anything Chief" I smiled as I saw the other deputies nearby listening in.

"Oh good, because I was concerned that your comments about their sexuality might have reflected some kind of deep seated hostility to gays an all" They both shook their heads as I continued. "But that's not correct is it?" Harris was marginally quicker.

"No ma'am, not me"

"Nope, got no problem with gays Chief"

"Excellent, so when I'm sitting down with Sherriff Baca next to discuss the current spate of hate crimes against gays, I know just the officers to recommend to go undercover to catch those people responsible for the recent spate of homophobic bashings" Both of them suddenly looked very awkward. I could see their colleagues nearby trying very hard to look nonchalant, though they were patently hanging on every word. "I'll be sure to mention both of y'all to the Sherriff. I'm sure a pair of fit, handsome young men like yourselves will do a convincing job, especially wearing leather vests and chaps with your butts hanging out, trolling the streets and bath houses posing as gay rent boys" Both of them had gone very pale, as I heard a hastily stifled laugh from another deputy who quickly turned away.

"Um, Chief…"

"Of course, if you were to make yourselves very, very scarce very quickly, I might just forget this little conversation took place and your names might be a little hard to remember" I saw them both start nodding. "Of course, one more inappropriate word about any of my female colleagues and I'm sure my memory would sharpen up just fine"

"Sorry ma'am" Kelly nodded as Harris started backing away.

"Uh yeah, sorry Chief, we'll just head…" they both turned and rapidly disappeared off the property as I stood there watching them as David's voice came to me, soft enough that no one else could hear.

"I didn't know you had a meeting with the Sherriff scheduled?" I turned to smile at David, keeping my voice low as well.

"I don't, but they don't know that, now do they?" He smiled at me and changed the subject as I stood there. What I'd done had been a bit petty, but it'd felt good and I was sure the word would get around.

"Now then David, where were we?"


	5. Chapter 5

****Intersecting Lines Book 2****

**05 Relaxing at home**

Jane's viewpoint

I was home, having beaten Maura in for a change, sprawled on the sofa watching some forgettable college basketball game when Maura made it through the door, still looking fantastic after a full day's work in a geometric print dress, a complimentary jacket and a pair of red and black Loubouton peep slings with five-inch heels.

As I watched she strolled into the room, dropped her two thousand dollar Prada bag on the table before walking over to the sofa, leaning over to get a welcoming kiss before collapsing at the other end of the sofa with a sigh. Looking up at me she lifted one leg up and held it out towards me for inspection. Not that I minded, I like her legs.

"My feet hurt" I tried to smother the smile that the slight whine in her voice threatened to bring out as I turned the television off.

"Well, you're the one who wears those heels all the time" I got one of her mock scowls as she lowered her leg back down.

"I thought you liked me in heels" I smiled sympathetically, carefully keeping my amusement hidden.

"I do, I love what they do to your legs, but there's a price to be paid" Maura looked up at me with a pout forming; the little tease knew exactly what that pout did to me.

"So I should stop wearing them?" I smiled.

"I wouldn't go that far" Maura's pout slipped into a tiny frown, she was having difficulty following me.

"But you are saying if I do not want the problem I should stop wearing them?" I smiled even wider.

"I didn't say that, just that there was a price to be paid" She raised an eyebrow at me.

"So what exactly are you suggesting Jane?"

"That you do what you wanted to do anyway and put your foot up here in my lap where I can work on it"

She smiled and did just that as I pulled off the source of her problems, marvellin once again at how something that makes her look so good can be so hard on her. I'd started with her left foot, massaging deep, working my fingers into her instep as she relaxed back into the sofa, her eyes dropping closed as my ministrations pulled a collection of little sighs and gasps from her, much to my amusement; normally those sort of noises signify the start of something else.

"I must be so whipped, to do this without an argument" I got a smile though Maura's eyes remained closed.

"It is just you showing how much you care" I smiled in return, kneading her instep.

"I bet Ana and Liv don't do this"

"Do not be so sure about that Jane" I looked up to see her watching me through heavy-lidded eyes. "I cannot be exactly sure if either gives foot massages, but I know both do equally wonderful things" I cocked an eyebrow.

"Like what exactly?" Maura gave a low groan as I worked on one particularly troublesome area, before looking at me again with a small smile playing.

"Oh, various things" I moved up past the ball of her foot and started moving her toes, working away at the base of each, making her squirm a little as her eyes dropped shut again as I prodded at her comment.

"C'mon Maura, you can't say something like that without finishing it. What sort of things?" She shrugged gently, her eyes still closed.

"Pedicures, manicures, painting toenails, all sorts of massages, facials, shaving legs, oh so many things" I had to bite down hard on an evil snigger. Oh this was too good an opportunity to waste; I had to get her to spill who does what, I wanted the ammunition to use later when I needed it. I tried to go for innocent curiosity to get Maura to cough up the dirt.

"Oh really, what does Liv do?" Maura smiled gently as her eyes remained closed.

"She loves to paint Alexandra's toenails. Alex almost never wears open-toed or strappy shoes to work, so normally only Olivia gets to see them. Alex used to only use reds or pinks, but Olivia loves painting them bright colours" I frowned, that didn't seem very likely.

"Liv? We're talking Olivia Benson, New York's most badass SVU cop?" Maura opened her eyes and smiled at me.

"Unless you know another Olivia Benson, yes Jane, that Olivia" I nodded slowly, filing the info away as Maura continued, her eyes drifting closed again. "Blues, greens, yellows, purples, the whole spectrum; given the nature of the work Olivia does, I could well believe that it is a form of escapism, bringing some brightness and colour into her day" I nodded again, that made sense. Homicide was bad enough; no way could I do Special Victims.

"Yeah, I could see that" Maura relaxed and settled back even further into the cushions as I continued working my way over her left foot and ankle.

"The fact that it is quite a personal service is simply a manifestation of her love for Alexandra" I nodded as I thought it over.

"I can see that too" I felt a small knot under the skin and concentrated on it for a few seconds, drawing a slight moan from Maura and a smile from me at the sound. "What else does she do?"

"If she has time, she will give Alex both a manicure and a pedicure, particularly before she paints her nails" Maura had arranged a pedicure for me several times over the years, I'd always felt a little self-conscious sitting back having someone working away on my feet, it felt a little, I dunno, intimate.

Thinking about it though I could imagine Liv doing that for Alex, she worshipped the ground Alex walked on; of course Alex did the same for Liv; they really were a match made in heaven. Mind you that was only fair; they'd gone through more than a decade of hell to get where they were now. I realised Maura was still going.

"Apparently Olivia also gives the most amazing scalp massages; Alex has raved about them more than once" I smiled, thinking of Liv standing behind Alex massaging her scalp. Alex had lovely hair, especially since she'd let it grow out, if it was anything like Maura's, all soft and thick and amazing, I could imagine sinking your hands into it would be great. I picked up the slight wistful tone in Maura's voice and decided then and there that I should try and do that for Maura sometime soon. I swapped feet, pulling off the right foot's wicked heel and starting working away on it, the muscles there just as tense as her left had been.

"I wonder what Alex does for Liv?" Maura smiled lazily at me, relaxing already, the work-induced tension melting away.

"As you know, Olivia loves coffee, in fact she is almost as coffee addicted as you are" I glanced up to see a tiny grin, Maura teasing me again. "Following a discussion with Anastasia, Alex has undertaken a coffee barista course that would see her employed as a professional at many top cafes and then has purchased a professional coffee machine so that she can make quality coffee for Olivia whenever needed. If Olivia is called out at night or early in the morning, Alex will get up to ensure that Olivia has a quality cup of strong, gourmet coffee to be certain Liv is awake before she leaves"

"That's pretty cool"

"Indeed. She also regularly massages Olivia's back, it was injured some years ago and plays up from time to time, they have found that regular massage minimises both the reoccurance of the injury and the pain that accompanies a reoccurance" I nodded slowly, that was pure Alex, anything for Liv. Besides, whatever she set her mind to, she'd do with the same single-minded devotion she brought to bear on anything important.

"What about Ana, what stuff does she do for Nat?" Maura smiled softly, the massage was working, pulling the day's stresses out and helping her to relax.

"Anastasia loves Natalie's legs, she regularly offers to shave Natalie's legs in the shower, then moisturise them so they remain soft and smooth" I felt my eyebrows rise. Ana did that? "Natalie says they are one of Anastasia's favourite parts of her body; she apparently loves to run her hands and tongue along them when they are fooling around" I pulled a face, not really meaning it though.

"That's almost shading into TMI territory there Maura" I had to silently agree though, Nat had beautiful long legs, almost everything she wore emphasised them. I wondered if that was because she knew Ana liked them so much. I smiled a little; I could see her doing that just for Ana, those two were another matched set, each meant the world to the other. That didn't mean I wasn't going to use this stuff sooner or later, this ammunition was too good to waste.

"Anything else she does for Nat?"

"Apparently she gives excellent facials; Natalie learnt to do them when she was younger, working at a department store as a cosmetician while going through college. She in turn taught Anastasia who now does them for her" I could imagine that she'd do good ones too, Ana was a perfectionist, anything she did; she did to the very best of her ability.

"In fact Natalie has suggested that I ask her to do one for me" I nodded. If Maura asked her, she'd get one as good as any you'd get in any spa in Los Angeles. Ana really cared for Maura, treating her like the sister she'd never had before becoming part of Nat's family. I completely understood that too, I felt the same way about Natalie, she was someone I felt was part of my family. In fact I felt the same way with Alex too, Nat and Alex were like younger sisters to me, to be loved and protected and taken care of.

With Liv and Ana it was different; the relationship there was a lot more like brothers. Each of them was there for me and I was there for them; that's just the way it was and always would be. I hadn't told Maura yet but I wanted them both to stand with me at the wedding. I knew Alex and Natalie would be Maura's bridesmaids, just as I wanted Liv and Ana as my…groomsmen? Grooms women? Whatever, I wanted them there with me on one of the most important days of my life.

I'd paused while thinking and I felt Maura's foot flex under my fingers, looking up to see her watching me, her eyes soft and gentle.

"Where were you Jane?" I smiled and resumed working over the muscles around her ankle.

"Daydreaming, sorry" I changed the subject. "Any idea what Nat does for Ana in return?"

"Natalie, as you would imagine would do anything for Anastasia, well anything but cook" We shared a chuckle, Nat was pretty good at just about anything she turned her hand to, she'd once described it by saying that while she may not be the best in everything she did, she'd be competent at almost anything. That didn't extend to cooking however; she wasn't a danger in the kitchen, but compared to Ana and Sharon, or Maura for that matter, all of whom could cook professionally, Nat's cooking was barely average at best, something that frustrated the hell out of her and provided Ana with an unending source of amusement and teasing.

"Natalie will regularly provide a professional level facial and full body treatment to Anastasia, she has a lovely skin tone and Natalie works hard to keep it that way" Maura smiled. "Natalie has said that this way both of them get to enjoy the benefits" I smirked, that sounded so like Nat, hiding her devotion to Ana under a smart ass exterior, not that we didn't know the truth.

Both couples were matches made in heaven, deeply in love, it was great to see it, it was like looking in a mirror and seeing ourselves there, Maura was my world and she'd made it clear that she felt the same about me. For a moment I basked in that knowledge, knowing it made everything better as Maura continued.

"In addition, Natalie loves brushing Anastasia's hair, as you are aware, it is long, thick and silky, partly due to Natalie's care. The only other persons to ever provide that service were her mother, who passed away when Anastasia was seven, and her father, who passed away not long after they first got together some four years ago. It is a quite personal thing between them both, one that Anastasia truly appreciates"

I nodded again, that was them both, tied up in a single sentence. As I thought about it, another couple came to mind, one we'd been heavily involved in getting together.

"I wonder what Sharon and Brenda do for each other" I was rewarded with a low chuckle.

"I understand both of them have had their water bills go up noticeably since they became a couple, apparently sharing a shower has not resulted in reduced water consumption, quite the opposite in fact" I grinned. The same thing had happened when Maura and I got together; I loved sharing a shower with her, a naked and wet Maura was just way too enticing to not enjoy running my hands all over those fabulous curves. I could understand the same thing happening for Brenda and Sharon, for all that they were older both were gorgeous women and they were head over heels in love with each other, something else I could totally empathise with.

"Well, yeah, that's understandable" Maura giggled gently.

"Apparently Brenda loves to wash Sharon's hair, Sharon casually mentioned over lunch some weeks back that she has had to increase her conditioning regime as her hair is getting washed more often than she was used to" I smiled. Sharon always did have nice hair, they both did actually. I moved my fingers down into Maura's instep and started working the muscles there, drawing a tiny hiss, before I fished for a bit more information.

"Anything else they do?" Maura smiled and nodded once.

"Indeed. Brenda loves to give Sharon a massage after a bad day, she makes sure she has a hot shower then carefully towel dries her before laying Sharon out on the bed and giving her a massage from her neck to her toes. Sharon has mentioned that by the time Brenda has finished all she wants to do is cuddle up and go to sleep" I smiled. I could totally see that happening, they worked hard to remain totally professional on the job, but the care and love those two had for each other was obvious when you saw them relaxed and away from work. That sort of massage was bliss, Maura's given me massages like that a few times, by the time she's finished I'm a weird combination of totally relaxed and incredibly turned on. To get my mind off that subject, at least until after dinner, I dragged my thoughts back to the subject, which I had to say I found fascinating.

"What about Sharon, what does she do for Brenda?" Maura smiled at me.

"Sharon bakes" I frowned.

"Bakes?" Her smile grew wider, Maura had built a close, solid friendship with both women, going running every week with Sharon and exchanging recipes, they both loved to cook, while she often had lunch with Brenda and caught up for a Saturday morning's tennis every fortnight, work permitting.

"Yes, as you are aware, Sharon is an excellent cook, and Brenda has a terrible sweet tooth" I nodded, the entire squad knew about her treat-filled top drawer, hell, probably the entire LAPD knew about it. "Sharon loves to bake her cookies and muffins and brownies and other treats however unknown to Brenda, Sharon's are quite healthy, replacing many of the worst of the trans-fats and cholesterol and sugar with alternatives that are much healthier. Brenda does not know it, but Sharon's treats are not only delicious, but much healthier for her" I smiled. That was Sharon, quieter than the rest of us but just as considerate, only more subtle about it. Maura gently kicked my thigh with her other foot, the one I wasn't working on.

"Brenda is unaware of Sharon's intentions and she will remain that way" I got an arched eyebrow and nodded, being rewarded with a smile. I smiled back, lost in her, how lucky was I to have someone like this in my life, to love and be loved by? How in hell did I get so lucky? As I did a thought occurred to me.

"How do you know all this?"

"Just chatting, we talk about each of you, as you might imagine" I caught the corner of my lip between my teeth. '_Uh oh_'

"You talk about me?"

"Of course I do, I am more than happy to tell them how lucky I am" I nodded slowly as alarm bells rang.

"What sort of things do you tell them about me?"

"Oh, how you love to wash my hair and give me those lovely shoulder massages, how you massage my feet after a long day and how you give me the best exfoliating scrubs" I felt a cold pit open in my stomach.

Oh. Shit. No.

"In fact Natalie told me she could not wait to tell Anastasia, she has been after her for ages to do foot massages" I nodded slowly, as the reality of what Maura was telling me sunk in.

"Uh huh"

"Of course, Alexandra wanted to tell Olivia what you do, because she really wants Olivia to do more massages and she felt having a combined scalp massage and shampoo sounded lovely"

"I see" I wondered for a moment why Liv and Ana hadn't mentioned any of this to me, before realising that each of us knew about the others. I smiled a trifle ruefully to myself. This was one of those 'what happens in Vegas moments', all of us knew and none of us would say anything. I shook my head gently, catching Maura's eye.

"You are very good at that Jane" I smirked as I moved my fingers onto the base of her toes, working them in sequence.

"I should be, I've had enough practice over the last few years"

"And I appreciate it every time, thank you Jane" I looked up and caught that smile, the one that she saves just for me, and fell into her eyes. She really was my reason for living.

I didn't really care if the others knew, I'd made Maura happy and that was all that counts.


	6. Chapter 6

****Intersecting Lines Book 2****

**06 Clues**

Maura's viewpoint

I looked around the inside of the burned out delivery van and sighed gently, it was almost a statistical certainty that we would recover no usable evidence from the vehicle's interior, the fire having erased any trace evidence that might have been left behind, with the notable exception of the unfortunate occupant remaining within.

"Whatcha think Doc?" Stepping back from the van I turned to look at Lieutenant's Flynn and Provenza. They had been called to the site after the Major Crimes flag on the van's licence plates had appeared in the LAPD computer when the wreckage was first discovered and called in. Lieutenant Flynn removed the ever present toothpick from between his teeth where he had been chewing on it, a nervous and mildly unsanitary habit which seems ever more in evidence at crime scenes, and spoke.

"Any chance of getting anything useful from the van?" I smiled at him.

"While highly unlikely, there is a very small chance we may recover something, yes"

"Yeah, that's what we figured too Doc, but we live in hope"

"There is always hope Lieutenant, a life without hope is not worth living" I got one of his off-centre smiles as Lieutenant Provenza leant forward into the van, his nose twitching.

"Is that kerosene I smell?" I nodded, pointing to areas where the aluminium roof of the van had twisted and buckled.

"The intensity of heat required for the roof to buckle in this manner would require a significantly greater radiant and thermal level than the combustion of the interior fittings would provide, taken together with the fact that the fuel tank has neither leaked nor exploded suggests there is a high probability that an accelerant was used, however I will not be able to confirm that…" Lieutenant Flynn finished the sentence for me, smiling.

"Until you get it back to the lab" I smiled back at him.

All of the Major Crimes team had picked up on Jane's habit of teasing me about my unwillingness to speculate on evidence, with both of my companions here amongst the most assiduous in their teasing. Jane says it's because they really are rather fond of me, a concept which I actually find quite pleasing.

"Exactly" We exchanged a quiet look, before he nodded towards the van's occupant.

"What about Mr Crispy here?" I turned back to the body lying across the parcel area in the van's rear.

"Again, it will take a through forensic examination of the deceased before I can be certain, however based on the evidence available, it would seem likely that we have found the individual who had previously been speculated to have been badly wounded at the scene of the most recent home invasion" Both heads turned at that.

"You speculate?" It was Lieutenant Flynn, surprise evident in his voice. "You ok Doc, you feeling alright?" I smiled.

"Quite well thank you Lieutenant Flynn, however I feel that there is little speculation here" At their raised eyebrows I smiled a little wider, explaining my reasoning.

"The body has been significantly damaged by the intensity of the fire, which has inflicted extensive damage to the external epidermis, including boiling off the moisture in the outer layers of the epidermis, making recovering DNA difficult. We will have to extract inner tissue or even bone marrow DNA for that however there remains enough evidence to suggest a statistically high likelihood that this is the suspect that we are seeking" At their sceptical looks I continued.

"The suspect is a male, as evidenced by the remaining stub of genitalia here" I indicated the groin area, where the clothes had burned off, getting a very male wince from both officers at the significant damage evident to the genitals. "As you can see here, the victim's body displays a significant wound in their right side, large enough to have caused exsanguination in a relatively short space of time" Lieutenant Flynn nodded.

"So he bled out" I ducked my head in a nod.

"In addition, the injury is consistent with neither a puncture wound nor a standard GSW, instead suggesting a larger wound, in particular the damage is consistent with a shotgun blast, probably from a distance of between six and eight feet" I smiled "All consistent with our presumed victim" Lieutenant Provenza cocked a sceptical eye at me.

"I dunno know Doc, that sounds a little speculative to me" I gave him a stern look but he was unfazed. I tried to ignore Lieutenant Flynn's barely-hidden grin as I fished out a pair of long, narrow-bladed tweezers from my bag, holding them up for their perusal.

"I will grant you that at first glance it may appear speculative however I would hope that after the amount of time we have been working together, you would have a little more faith in me"

I turned, leaned into the van and deftly collected the object I had spotted on earlier examination, a piece of shot. The cooking off of the epidermis had lifted the shot close to the surface, allowing me to see and identify it amongst the damaged tissue. Turning I held up the shot for their examination.

"I present the piece of proof that this unfortunate individual is connected to the home invasion case" They both craned their necks to look closely at it, Lieutenant Flynn shrugging his shoulders.

"Looks like shot to me, what makes it tied to our case?" I was about to answer when Lieutenant Provenza moved a little closer, squinting at it.

"Because its .22 shot, the same size as the ones found in the wall at the scene" I smiled happily, he had obviously paid attention to my crime scene report.

"Indeed. F gauge actually, notable because it is only available in stainless steel, rather than lead. Did you know that manufacturers are shifting away from the traditional lead-based shot for environmental reasons? Instead more and more manufacturers are using steel, bismuth, or tungsten for their shot" From their expressions I could tell that regrettably neither was particularly concerned about the environmental implications.

"But how can you tell that this particular shot is the same as the one from the house?" It was Lieutenant Provenza. I smiled again; they really should learn to trust me more.

"The very small, but noticeable maker's mark stamped into the shot, quite small but exactly the same as the ones previously recovered from the wall at the Shimamura residence" I saw the two detectives exchange a look. "The chances of the same sized shot, from the same manufacturer, turning up in a male body, in a delivery van identical to the one used to commit the crime, with a shotgun wound that would prove fatal, but not immediately, is vanishingly small" Lieutenant Provenza shot a look at his partner.

"Hard to argue with that" I worked hard to hide my triumphant smile before continuing.

"Thus it is not speculation, but deduction based on all of the available clues, allowing the reaching of a conclusion that is statistically almost certain" Lieutenant Flynn smiled and conceded graciously.

"We give Doc; you got us, on this one anyway" I nodded.

"Thank you Lieutenant" He looked around the van.

"Anything else?"

"It is very unlikely, however there is a small chance there might be, if you both would be kind enough to assist me in moving the body onto its side" Both were experienced detectives, neither batted an eyelid at the request and were of course wearing gloves. As they did the smell of charred meat filled the air. With the body on its side I could see the back, more importantly I could see the victim's left arm, which had been trapped under the body when it had been dumped in the back before the fire had been ignited.

I had been hoping that the positioning may have protected the arm sufficiently to leave fingerprints but the arm had come to rest palm down, allowing the heat from the metal floor to conduct the heat through to the skin, leaving it badly charred. The damage was unfortunately too significant to allow the recovery of finger prints. As I examined the arm I realised the area on the top of the arm was much less damaged, probably protected where it had been pressed up against the victim's back. A closer examination revealed markings on the skin.

"Lieutenant Provenza, would you be kind enough to retrieve and pass me the camera located in my bag, thank you" He did so as Lieutenant Flynn continued to support the body, though he raised his eyebrow at me. Once the camera was passed across, I took a series of shots with and without flash, before stepping back and letting them lay the body back down.

I flicked back through the images, confirming what I had thought.

"Your suspect is Japanese, almost certainly having lived there for most of their adult life. You probably need to look at an arrival within the last few years"

"How the hell can you tell that from a piece of barbecued meat?" It was Lieutenant Provenza. I proffered the camera to them.

"The victim has extensive tattoos on their arms; they may also have them on their torso and back, we may find additional evidence if enough of the epidermis was protected where it lay across this arm" I watched as Lieutenant Provenza flicked through the images, Lieutenant Flynn watching over his shoulder, before he looked up.

"How can you tell it's Japanese though?"

"The style of the tattoo, the intricate nature of the work, how it forms part of a larger mural and in particular the old fashioned manner in which it was created. This was not done with a modern electric needle; rather it was done with traditional bamboo needles and inks and follows the traditions of Irezumi" Seeing I had lost them I clarified the description.

"This person was a member of the Japanese organised crime clans collectively known as the Yakuza. The Yakuza practice extensive and intricate ritual tattooing and the traditional nature of the tattoo indicates that they grew up within a Japanese clan. The local US-based Yakuza clans lack the skilled artisans to create traditional Irezumi" They looked at me for a second before both turned their gaze to the body in the van, Lieutenant Flynn eventually speaking.

"So we're dealing with the Japanese mafia" For several seconds I weighed the advisability of attempting to explain the numerous significant stylistic, cultural and operational differences between the Mafia and the Yakuza, before reluctantly deciding now was neither the time nor the place.

"In a manner of speaking yes, both are organised crime syndicates" They shared another look before Lieutenant Provenza spoke.

"Anything else your eagle eye spotted that we might have missed?" I shook my head, feeling my cheeks warm.

"I sincerely doubt it, both of you are very experienced detectives, skilled at dealing with a wide variety of crime scenes, whereas my focus was on my singular area of expertise" Lieutenant Flynn shrugged.

"Don't be too hard on yourself Doc, Rizzoli's told us you could've been a detective, you're smart and good at observation, which is a fair chunk of the job" I looked up and smiled at his praise.

"Thank you Lieutenant, I appreciate your kind words, but reading people is the main part of being a detective and something I have never been good at" Lieutenant Provenza pulled a face.

"Don't run yourself down there Doc, you do better than ok" I felt a little uncomfortable with their praise.

"Thank you both, you are very kind, however I feel that your skill set is something I would never master" I paused for a moment to consider their comments before something occurred to me.

"Besides, I would question your assumption that intelligence is a prerequisite for a detective, after all, it seems to have eluded Commander Taylor despite his many years in the role" I caught their growing smiles as I grimaced at my interactions with that particularly disagreeable individual. "On the other hand, perhaps I could be a detective despite my poor social skills; Russell Taylor has managed to ascend to the rank of Commander and leadership of the Robbery / Homicide division without demonstrating any appreciable talents in that area either"

Their laughter was quick and unforced, making me smile with them. Finally Lieutenant Provenza smiled.

"That has to be the most polite, accurate description of Taylor I've heard in a long time" Lieutenant Flynn nodded.

"Nicest way to call him an ass yet" I shook my head, my tone mildly reproving.

"Now Lieutenant; that is not a particularly nice thing to say, the ass is a very useful animal and performs a multitude of roles well, regrettably the same cannot be said of Commander Taylor" Both officers laughed even harder before Lieutenant Flynn spoke.

"Doc, you just keep telling yourself you're no good at reading people, the rest of us know better"


	7. Chapter 7

****Intersecting Lines Book 2****

**07 Taylor Troubles**

Sharon's viewpoint

Thursday mornings are Pope's Senior Officer's Meeting's, his direct reports assemble to provide updates on their divisions, get directives from Pope and hear the latest pearls of wisdom to filter down from the Mayor's office. For all that I'm no great fan of the man Pope runs these meetings on a tight leash; his predecessor let them drag on till the point that they became a test of both your patience and bladder control. Under Pope it's report the top three or four key items and then move on to the next department head. If you need to talk about more than that you make an appointment and go see him, that way you're not wasting everyone else's time.

This meeting was a little different; Pope had asked the District Attorney's office to participate on a permanent basis; it was a good idea. We funneled so many cases through them that it made sense; cooperation between the two organisations was good at an institutional level but individually we butted heads regularly. It seemed that the quality of the case's outcome often depended on which Deputy District Attorney was assigned to the case, some were good, some average and some bad, what you'd find in any organisation really.

We were in luck; they'd sent Andrea Hobbs, one of their best. She was smart, dedicated and great at getting the most out of a witness. While she'd made her name in negotiated settlements and plea bargains, she liked to send criminals away as much as the rest of us, which made her a lot easier to deal with than some of the other DDAs. Brenda had worked on more than a few cases with Andrea in recent years and had a lot of good things to say about her.

Andrea had become involved with Mikki Mendoza a few months before Brenda and I had started dating, Mikki was one of Commander Ruiz's detectives in SIS. We'd had dinner with them both just after New Year at their place and they'd been over to my place for dinner a few weeks back where they'd turned out to be good company, even though they had very different personalities, Mikki was a bit younger, driven and determined where Andrea was older, more reflective, calmer; they didn't look like a match but it seemed to be working for them, given how comfortable they were with each other.

I'd butted heads with Andrea from time to time over the years on professional matters but in person she was calm and considered with a wicked sense of humour and a refreshingly down to earth personality for a lawyer, too many of the DDAs looked down on the cops, not Andrea though. I liked her.

Andrea ended up sitting between Anastasia and Commander Reynolds from the Gang Task Force; it sure made a change from the bad old days. Back then it had been Brenda and I in a sea of male uniforms, occasionally we'd be joined by Candace Morrell, the head of HR, but the meetings had generally been awash in a sea of testosterone. Then Maura, Ana and Natalie had joined us and Candace had made it a point to attend, making a nice change, with seven of us here now it felt a little less the boys club that the LAPD still was.

Given the additions were attractive women, there hadn't been too many complaints, well except for Taylor and a few of his cronies of course, really though it was Taylor who was the problem, he despised Brenda, loathed Natalie and hated the rest of us. He constantly tried to undermine us, especially Brenda, who'd kicked him out of Major Crimes when she suspected he was leaking information against her, and Natalie who'd publically stared him down at the LAPD Ball, forcing him to back off. With the rest of us his dislike wasn't really personal, just on general principles, but he tried to undermine all of us when he could.

Pope kicked off the meeting by welcoming Andrea, hoping it would lead to a better understanding on both sides and then announced he was assigning Narcotics' Deputy Chief Kelso to sit in on weekly meetings at the DAs office for the same reason. I nodded, it made sense and anything that helped cooperation between us was good. He started going round the room, the usual bitching about overtime limits, a reminder from Candace for departments to try and get their people's annual leave balances down, the usual stuff.

The roll out of the LAPDs new cruisers was coming along, though the money diverted for that meant that maintenance money for our current fleet of Crown Vic's was down. There were groans at that, the old cars were miserable to drive; the uniformed officers had grown to hate them so they couldn't wait for the new Caprice's to come on line. Unfortunately replacing the fleet of unmarked cars was further down the priority list, so the rest of us would have to soldier on with the Crown Vics for a while longer, which with less money for maintenance meant more cars off the road for longer, something a number of people around the table quickly pointed out, to no avail. Brenda leaned in and smiled; her voice low as she spoke for my ears only.

"Wonder what the chances are of getting mine traded for a Caprice, god knows mine's getting old" I smiled quietly.

"I don't know sweetie, maybe you could flirt your way into convincing Pope to give you one" I got a gentle elbow in the ribs and a muttered 'jerk' in return. I had to hide a smile; I just knew I was going to pay for that comment later, probably tonight.

As Pope ran round the table we all had our moments.

Maura highlighted some of the cases pending, the usual backlog in the MEs office was slowly trending down thanks to some changes in procedures, that she was hosting a visit by several colleagues from back east and that they were refining the training courses to be taken by all new recruits on dealing with crime scenes as first responders to let them attend without contaminating the scene.

Ana noted the Bureau's assistance to several gang task force investigations, that the Bureau had a new organised crime head in the LA office and would be bringing him round to meet people in the LAPD later in the week and that the FBI Director would be visiting LA next month and would like to meet Pope.

Andrea mentioned she was pleased to have the chance to work with the LAPD and hopefully her being here would help improve relations between both agencies. She touched on a few big cases that were passing through the courts, mentioned that the District Attorney's office was hoping to recruit several new DDAs to deal with the work load and that Tony Yuksal, one of the DA office's longest serving DDAs was going to be retiring next month. I nodded slowly, Tony was an institution, one of their best people to work with and a man with a great success rate, I'd worked with him a couple of times over the years and he'd be missed.

Natalie touched on a few high points, they'd been approached about getting help to film a new police reality television show about the air wing, she looked over at the air wing's Captain Oats who nodded; another studio was looking at making a series about a K9 unit officer and his dog, the show was an educational one aimed at young kids, they were looking at either the LAPD or the LA County Sherriff and Nat was determined that it'd be the LAPD getting the good publicity. She mentioned the overall trend line for positive comments about the LAPD in the media was holding steady, with a few blips related to specific cases.

Taylor chose that point to break in, asking if that included the pounding the LAPD was taking in the Asian language media lately. Natalie however just smiled and nodded, playing it cool.

"Yes, the monitoring does pick up non-English media Commander, they're one of the blips I mentioned, in this case a negative one" Taylor leaned forward.

"Given we're getting hammered on Major Crime's handling of these home invasions, what are you doing about it?" I tried hard not to frown, not only was Taylor having a go at my girlfriend and one of our friends, up until last week it'd been his team's failure. I caught Brenda's expression darkening and gently moved my foot over against hers, distracting her for a moment. Natalie was unfazed, though her smile was her professional one, the one she used on camera, not her normal happy smile.

"We're reaching out to the Asian language media, setting up a series of one on one interview's with Chief Johnson and some of the major non-English media outlets, explaining what we're doing to catch the suspects. In addition one of my staff, Lilly Chan, will be working directly with those media outlets to provide a direct communication channel to them"

"You're gonna put Chief Johnson up for media interviews?" Taylor voice was pure skepticism. "She's not got the best track record with the media" Brenda couldn't contain herself, though she kept her voice polite, her accent quite pronounced.

"Why thank you so very much for that vote of confidence Commander, I'll try and keep your advice in mind" Taylor turned to Natalie before she could speak.

"If you want someone experienced at dealing with the media and given it was my team's case before it was handed over to Major Crimes, I'd be happy to do the media for you" He smirked. "That way we'd avoid anything happening that might make the situation worse" Brenda was about to interject so I nudged her foot again, distracting her long enough for Natalie to respond.

"Thank you for your offer Commander, however I believe the media would prefer to hear real facts from the senior officer personally dealing with the crime, it makes it look like we're finally taking the problem seriously and are actually committed to solving it"

I inwardly winced at the phrasing, hopefully not too many people picked up on the implicit 'fuck you' in there, though given the determinedly bland look on Pope's face he probably had. I noticed Maura and Ana were both reading their notes studiously, heads down while Andrea's eyebrow had risen in amusement; yep, they'd picked it up, in fact seeing some of the barely hidden amused expressions around the table most of the room probably had. Natalie looked over at Brenda and smiled, a real one this time.

"Given Major Crime's closure rate and well known successes in dealing with difficult crimes, it sends a message that we're taking the community's concerns seriously" She looked back at Taylor, her smile dropping away.

"As for Chief Johnson dealing with the media, I would expect nothing less of her than I would of any other officer around this table, that any of the people here would do an excellent job of representing the Department and getting our message across" I saw Taylor's jaw tighten, the way Natalie had phrased it, any attack on Brenda now would be an attack on the capabilities of all of the senior officers around the table. Pope must have seen it, as he broke the quiet tension around the table.

"Thank you Natalie. Captain Turner, what's happening out on the water" As the Harbour Division head spoke I smiled quietly at Natalie, getting the slightest curl at the corner of her mouth in return. Glancing at Brenda I could see her colour was a little red, she was still annoyed at Taylor, not that I blamed her.

Turning to look at Taylor, I saw he was obviously pissed, he'd gone in to attack both Natalie and Brenda and it had blown up in his face, he definitely wasn't a happy camper, shooting daggers at Natalie where she sat there. He must have realised I was watching him as he turned his baleful glare at me for a moment, before looking away to murmur to his crony Garcia from Juvenile, before they both turned their attention on me and smiled nastily.

"Oh that…man" I almost smiled at Brenda's low voiced words; she made them sound like a curse.

"Maybe we should send him off to the range to re-qualify, he certainly shot himself in the foot just then" Brenda didn't smile, but kept her voice low.

"No offence but I was kinda hoping for an area about six feet higher Sharon" At that I did smile.

"Well, wishes may come true"

"God I hope so"

The rest of the meeting went quietly, but I had the feeling that things were going to get worse before they got better.


	8. Chapter 8

****Intersecting Lines Book 2****

**08 Another home invasion**

Brenda's viewpoint

The house was upscale in a nice neighbourhood, the gardens and pool well tended, the Audi sedan and the BMW SUV in the drive attesting to a level of comfortable living most would aspire to.

Unfortunately the site in front of me was anything but comforting, a middle-aged Asian man dead in a wide pool of blood, his throat slashed almost clear though, left in the hall of his own home.

I'd arrived late; I'd been stuck in Pope's weekly senior officers meeting, stewing a bit over Taylor's petty bigotry while the rest of the squad had rolled out, David having waited around to drive me here when I escaped the meeting; Natalie and Maura had left right behind me and were due any moment. I turned to Sanchez who was filling me in, as I realised he'd stopped while I looked around.

"Sorry Detective, please continue"

"Well Chief, the assailants broke down the security screen door pretty quickly, but the reinforced front door took a bit longer, it seems that gave Mister Lin's wife and son time to get into their safety room" he indicated a closet door that stood open, revealing a solid steel door leading to a panic room behind it. I nodded; the victim was lying in front of the open closet door. Taking in the bloody tableux in front of me it seemed obvious.

"It seems he was unable to make it inside before they caught him" I saw both Sanchez and Tao shake their heads before Tao spoke.

"He stayed behind to distract them Chief, buy his family enough time to get inside and set off the alarm" Sanchez squatted next to the body to point out the injuries.

"It appears they tortured him to give up the cypher lock combination, based on the injuries to his hand" I nodded, taking in the crushed fingers and the missing little finger as he continued. "He obviously refused and they slit his throat before leaving" I looked up and nodded as I took in the corridor.

"Did they try and get through the door here?" Provenza shook his head.

"Bank's have less secure vaults than this place" He waved at Jane who pulled the steel door back, not without some effort, it had to be three inches thick, you could see where rods came out of it and slotted into the thick concrete wall. Looking in you could see a filing cabinet, some furniture, a table with a phone and a television set with an old VCR machine mounted on the wall. I frowned and looked around, but Jane held her hand up.

"If you're looking for a camera Chief, we have two, an obvious one here…" She pointed to a black dome that projected down from the hall ceiling outside the safe room entrance. "And another one back here" Jane pointed up into a chandelier further down the hall where another camera was visible if you knew what to look for. "Buzz has the tape already" I nodded, grateful that having a squad so sharp meant things happened without me having to ride everyone constantly.

"What about the family Detective Sanchez, a wife and child I believe you said?" Sanchez grimaced.

"Yeah, both pretty traumatised" He gestured towards the camera. "They saw it all on camera" I nodded, trying to not show how I felt about that, to watch someone you love killed because they were protecting you… I had a new perspective on that situation since falling for Sharon.

"Are they able to talk yet?" Flynn shrugged.

"The mother not yet; the son's taking it a lot better, he's only four and I suppose he's used to violence on television and stuff and doesn't realise it was really his dad being killed on TV" Provenza snorted.

"Another, previously unknown benefit of all those violent computer games" I ignored his editorialising and looked around.

"Do we know why they wanted into this room so badly, rather than just stripping the place of the valuables they've been stealing in previous attacks?"

"It seems that our vic here didn't believe in banks. Apparently didn't trust them" Flynn shrugged again. "Who knows, upshot is though that the family kept their jewellery and cash in there, probably figured it was safer and more convenient than a bank"

"Exactly how much are we talking about Lieutenant?" He shook his head.

"Not sure Chief, but based on the contents of the drawers we pulled open, probably fifty or sixty thousand dollars, plus however much all the jewellery's worth" I felt my eyebrows rise in surprise. In response he held his hands out. "There's a lot of jewellery"

"Sixty thousand dollars, in cash?" I looked around. "Exactly what business was our victim operating here anyway?" Tao looked around from where he was examining the inner workings of the vault door.

"Apparently our vic owned a couple of luxury car franchises here in LA, hence the Audi and BMW out front" I nodded.

Sergeant Gabriel, would you be so kind as to run Mister Lin's financials, let's confirm that all the money came from his legitimate businesses, I want to make sure selling cars was the only business Mister Lin was conducting here in LA" Sanchez scowled.

"You thinking maybe drug money Chief?" I shook my head.

"Let's rule things out before we rule them in shall we Detective"? He nodded as Sergeant Gabriel turned to regard the vault-like door.

"Makes sense, this room sure isn't something that comes standard in your average house, maybe he was expecting trouble" Provenza shook his head slowly, looking down at the body.

"If he was expecting it, well he wasn't disappointed"

I looked up as Maura and her team arrived, nodding to her as she bent down to pull on the blue disposable booties over her heels.

"And good morning to you Doctor Isles" Maura looked up and flashed me a warm smile, she really was quite lovely and her calming presence usually helped cheer me up.

"Good morning again Chief Johnson" Standing she walked over as she finished pulling on her medical gloves.

"Single victim, throat slashed plus various other injuries" Maura's eyes narrowed, as she became all business.

"If you will excuse me then?" I stepped aside as Maura nodded and moved towards the body, nodding to Jane as she passed, before squatting down next to the victim, as usual making sure to not disturb the scene. She leaned backwards and forwards, seeing the body from different angles before looking up at me.

"If you have the crime scene imagery, may I move the victim?" Flynn nodded at my silent question and I looked back at Maura.

"Of course Doctor" As two of her team lifted the body into a nearby body bag I saw her lean in to more closely examine the slit throat. Taking in the area around the body she examined the finger lying there, before slowly standing and turning.

"The knife used was obviously very sharp, however the blades used were different. The one used to sever the finger was apparently a straightedge, while the one used on the throat appears to have been curved. I should be able to give you a more conclusive result once I get the body back to the morgue" I nodded, that was Maura, observations but no conclusions until she had scientific proof, not that I minded at all.

When Maura came to a conclusion you could take it to the bank, or court in our case; her results would be iron clad and incontestable. Lord knows she'd helped tie up enough major cases since she had arrived, all thanks to her skill and dedication, every now and then I gave thanks that Boston's loss was our gain. She turned to oversee her team's work as they carefully moved a gurney into the corridor.

Stepping back I started assigning tasks to the team; canvas of the neighbours, searching out any possible cameras covering the area or the streets leading in and out, checking in with the major parcel delivery companies to see if any vehicles had been stolen in the last 24 hours, in line with the M.O. of our home invasion crew, the check of the family's financial's, the history behind what was a remarkably secure panic room and monitoring the wife to see when she'd be in a position to give a statement and ensuring the surveillance tape got back to headquarters safely.

I'd just finished when I looked up to see Natalie at the door, reminding me that the media were demanding answers. She looked at me and nodded, giving me space to do my job but letting me know she was here. Normally she was a welcome sight but her arrival reminded me of my as yet-unfulfilled promise to conduct interviews with some of the media. I could imagine that conversation getting another airing and wasn't looking forward to it, at all. I wearily rubbed my eyes, feeling a migrane coming on, '_oh great_'.

Several hours later the entire team less Sanchez, who was down in the morgue watching Maura's autopsy on the unfortunate Mister Lin, had gathered in the electronics room to watch the footage from the VCR, Buzz had managed to convert it from poor quality VCR tape to something much clearer, the video was in black and white and there was no audio but what I saw was bad enough.

The father was hustled into the camera's field of view; he'd obviously already been roughed up, blood streaming down his face from a scalp wound. There were at least four men in the frame, all wearing ski masks, forcing the victim to his knees in front of the door. I frowned.

"Can you stop the tape please Buzz" The images froze. "Interesting, the suspects obviously already knew about the safe room, they came here pretty much immediately" There were nods around the team. "When was the room installed?" Mike Tao flipped open his notebook.

"It came with the house, the original owner had it installed when he built it. The Lin's only bought the house two years ago" I nodded, that checked with what we'd already learned, on first examination it looked like the Lin's were a upper-middle class family running a successful, legitimate business, successful enough to attract the attention of our home invasion crew.

"Lieutenant, please chase up the original owner, find out who knew about that room. Lieutenant Flynn, could you please follow up with the wife when she's able to talk, ask who they may have told about the room" I nodded. "Please continue Buzz"

As the tape rolled on we watched as two of the men held the victim by his arms while a third obviously demanded he open the door. When the father shook his head the third man stepped back and yet another, much larger ski-masked assailant savagely kicked Lin in the chest, watching as he fell to the floor before crushing the father's fingers under his boot heel. We watched the two men holding him drag him upright again where the person asking the questions pointed towards the door, getting another shake of the head. At a nod from the first man the big man who had done the abuse stepped forward and pulled out a knife, straight-edged I noted, brandishing it in front of the victim.

Despite the obvious threat the father still shook his head, while we watched he was forced to his knees and the man with the knife stamped down on the victim's forearm, forcing it flat and likely breaking it in the process, then knelt down on it and did something that the camera was at the wrong angle to catch, however the victim's writhing and screaming told its own story, when the attacker stepped back there was a pool of blood on the floor and something small lying there on the floor, as most of the people watching the tape winced.

The man asking the questions looked up at the camera and gestured to the father who was sobbing and clutching his hand, blood dripping and pooling on the floor.

"Tortured the poor bastard right there on camera" It was Flynn. Jane nodded.

"Hacked off the little finger, that's apparently an old Yakuza tradition" Provenza looked across at her, surprise evident.

"Hey Rizzoli, didn't realise you had a lot of Yakuza back in Boston" He got a head shake and rolled eyes from Jane in return.

"Maura was the one who worked out it was Yakuza in the first place, so she's been telling me about them" She shrugged. "When Maura does a case-related info dump, I listen" I nodded. Maura was a certified genius, when she told you something important, it was always well worth paying attention. Mike Tao nodded and gestured at the screen.

"Message's pretty clear, open the door or we'll do more. Trying to get the family inside to open up, if he won't do it from the outside" I nodded as we watched, the father shaking his head. I was about to say something when the heads of all the attackers lifted. Provenza grimaced.

"Figure they heard the first sirens right about then" I watched with pursed lips as the man asking the questions turned to the man with the knife and said something. The two men holding the arms stepped back as the shaken victim dropped to his knees, the big man changing knives before stepping up behind him, grabbing Lin's hair and yanking it back, then in a single savage move reached round and slashed the victim's throat wide open, stepping back to leave the victim thrashing on the floor before leaving the camera's field of view. As he did I noted the knife in his hand had a reversed curve blade with the edge on the inside of the curve, it looked like something a butcher would use, in this case it might as well have been made for what it had been used for. As the tape stopped I sighed.

"Well, Doctor Isles will be able to tell us if the victim suffocated or bled out first but it's pretty academic at this point. It's obvious that the gang has escalated their attacks to the point that killing their victims seems to be the default response" Gabriel nodded.

"Yeah, there was no way the victim would have been able to identify his attackers, so why kill him, he was no threat" Flynn shrugged.

"Sending a message to their future victims, don't do exactly what we say or try and stop us, we'll kill you" Jane grimaced.

"These guys are stone cold, especially the one with the knife" She looked round the room. "Anyone else think that throat-cutting move looked pretty well practiced?" There were nods all round, it looked very smooth indeed. At my request Buzz ran that section of the tape again. Several people commented on how smoothly the job had been done, smooth enough that none of the blood spatter had hit the knife weilder. I sighed.

"Detective Rizzoli, can you please run a search through the database for similar knife killings" I looked back at the image frozen on the screen and sighed again. "As you say, it surely looks like something he's done before"


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: ** I have been asked from time to time what my muses Natalie and Ana look like. Natalie's face is the one that appears for Intersecting Lines and Intersecting Lines Book 2, as well as my other story Pillow Talking.

Anastasia's face is used for Intersecting Lines Drabbles, Intersecting Lines Possession and Passion, Watching the Detectives and Hearts on the Shopping Block.

If you would like to see more images of them, and the other women of Intersecting Lines, open Intersecting Lines Book 2. Click on the image of Natalie then, when the larger image appears, click on it and select '_Search Google for this image_'. The top result will be '_Natalie Dearing Photos by UnicornFF | Photobucket_' Click that link for images of Nat and Ana, Jane and Maura, Sharon and Brenda, Liv and Alex and the rest of the couples I write about.

Thanks for reading.

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**09 ****Fashion **

Jane's viewpoint

The food was great, as usual. The company was even better, as usual, but I couldn't really let myself go. It was Friday night and we were having dinner at Nat and Ana's but the phone call I'd had this afternoon from Boston had pissed me right off. Maura had been nothing but understanding but I was still out of sorts, to the point that it hadn't taken the others long to work out something was up.

"C'mon Jane, what's eating you" It was Natalie, backed up by Ana.

"Yeah, you've not been yourself all night" I sighed.

"I got a call from my old job back in Boston today, I have to go back for an appeal by a guy we put away for multiple homicides three years ago" They looked at me, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "I'll probably be gone for three to four days" Ana looked confused.

"I know you were back there for Christmas, but it's only a couple of days, it'll give you both a chance to catch up with people again" I grimaced.

"It's just me, Maura's not needed" Nat's eyes flicked across to Maura, sitting curled up next to me.

"Why not, won't they need you to give evidence?" Maura smiled.

"Apparently I am not required" I barked out a laugh.

"Nah" I reached out and wrapped my arm around Maura's shoulders, pulling her close. "The defence knows better than to put Maura on the stand, no one argues with her evidence, not more than once. So it's just me" I leaned in and kissed her.

"What's the problem though?" I sighed.

"There's two really. The first is I'll have to go back to work with my old boss at BPD Homicide, he was one of the main reasons I was so glad to come out here to LA. He really doesn't like gays, something he made quite clear to us on numerous occasions, so I started drawing all the shitty assignments. He also gave some of the more homophobic detectives free reign, they could dump shit on me, but I'd get reprimanded for taking it back to them" Natalie frowned.

"Couldn't you take it up with your HR people, you shouldn't have to deal with that sort of thing in this day and age, it's the 21st century after all" I shook my head, still getting a little steamed about it even after months away from it all.

"No, he made it clear that if I kicked up a fuss I'd be 'loaned' back to vice permanently" I shrugged. "I'd worked too damned hard to get out of vice in the first place to be sent back" Ana cocked her head to one side.

"If he didn't like that you were gay, why didn't he just send you back to vice straight away?" I was about to day something, play things down a bit, when Maura spoke up, she'd always been proud of my successes.

"Because Lieutenant Cavanaugh would have to find a way to justify it, not just to HR but also to the BPD brass and quite possibly the Mayor's office" Maura hugged herself into me a little more and spoke; her voice full of pride. "Jane had developed quite a profile for the cases she had solved, so sending Boston's best homicide detective permanently back to the vice squad would definitely have attracted some attention" I smiled down at her, then looked up at our friends.

"Well this time it's only temporary and I'll be home before you know it" They both looked a little dubious but let it go, they cared enough to be concerned for me, but also enough to let the subject drop. Ana leaned forward.

You mentioned two problems? What's the other one?"

"It's just an annoyance, but on the last day in Boston last Christmas we put all our cold weather clothes into long-term storage until we worked out what to do with them, so I don't have anything to wear for a miserable Boston winter, especially to court. I hate having to buy clothes I'm probably never going to wear again. God knows I won't need winter weight suits here in LA" I didn't look at Maura while I spoke, we'd had been through this on the drive over, I know she's rich but I hated the idea of buying things for only one use. "I'll survive"

"How long did you say you're in Boston?" It was Natalie. "Three or four days?"

"Yeah, probably four days" She nodded once.

"No problem, come with me" I looked over at Maura and got a smile and a tilt of the head as Natalie paused at the door and looked back at me over her shoulder. "C'mon" Shrugging, I got up and followed her down the hall into the spare bedroom. We'd crashed here a few times but I'd never felt the need to go ferreting through their closets.

Natalie walked over to the built-in closets filling one wall and opened a few doors.

"You're about the same height as me, a bit slimmer in places, so some of this should fit you" Before I knew it Nat was pulling out a few clothes bags and laying them on the bed. The first one was unzipped and a grey woollen skirt suit was being pulled out.

"Uh Nat, its ok, there's no need…" Natalie just ignored my protests, holding the suit up against me.

"That one might do, it's pretty warm" She looked up at me. "Seattle's winters aren't all that pleasant, so I have a pile of winter-weight suits and stuff, some of them should fit you" I had visions of me dressing like her, all tight jackets and short skirts and just knew they weren't me.

"I don't want to sound ungrateful Nat, but…" She laughed.

"Then don't, just try them on" She held the suit out to me. "Don't worry, nothing too risqué or corporate"

"Go on Jane, it cannot hurt" I turned to see Maura and Ana standing in the doorway. I went to say something when Ana shook her head.

"Jane, you're not going to win against both of them, just go with it, there's sure to be something there that fits, lord knows Nat has enough clothes to fit out an army" Natalie tossed the suit to me as she turned back to the bed, sorting through the rest of the clothes in the bag.

"This might do" She held up a forest green suit and turned to Maura. "What do you think Maura?" I looked at Ana and got a grin in return as I shook my head while Maura tilted her head to the side as she contemplated the suit.

"I have never really seen Jane in greens, more reds and darks" I turned my head to look at her.

"Darks?" She was busy considering another suit Natalie was holding up, a dark grey pinstripe and nodded in approval.

"Yes, I could see her in that" I went to interrupt when Natalie looked at me.

"Jane, hurry up and get undressed, we don't have all night" I heard a snicker from the door, making me round on Ana.

"Look you, don't just stand there, make yourself useful and go get us something to drink. God knows I need a beer to even consider agreeing to this" Ana left with a mock salute and a laugh as I turned back to face them.

"Maura, maybe this isn't such a good idea…" She just fixed me with that smile and moved a little closer, resting her hand on my arm as she gazed up at me, puppy dog eyes turned up to about a seven on the Maura scale; I knew I was beaten before she spoke.

"You will look wonderful darling, you have often commented that Natalie's clothes look good on her, I am certain you will look equally splendid" I knew I had to put up at least a token effort, as futile as it might be.

"But I'm a cop, not a spokes-model" I got a filthy look from Nat as she pulled another bag out of the cupboard.

"Then you'll be a good cop spokes-model too, now get undressed"

An hour and two beers later we were back in the lounge room, Maura and I snuggled up on the sofa. It turned out that Natalie's wardrobe didn't completely consist of corporate fetish wear, all tightly tailored jackets and even tighter short skirts, thank god. I had two trouser suits plus two skirt suits, one knee length the other just above, all in winter weights. Even I had to admit I'd be warm in them.

Natalie took a different shoe size from me, but Ana had loaned me two pairs of lined-boots that fit, one knee high that went with the skirts, the other ankle length to wear with the trousers. They both came with four inch heels, that was going to be interesting; it made me stand well past six feet, which hadn't really fazed Natalie at all.

"The extra height will add authority; you're already striking so the added inches will just reinforce that" Ana had nodded from where she'd been lounging in the door, making not terribly helpful comments, basically teasing the hell out of me.

"You'll look good in court Jane, make a favourable impression and that's half the battle" I'd nodded, realising I was kinda backed into a corner, it'd only be four days and then I'd be out of there. What could go wrong?

I'd frowned at that thought for a moment, I really should know better than to tempt fate like that.

Maura was smiling up at me from where she was curled up on the sofa as Ana made coffees, she hadn't really stopped since the impromptu fashion show; I just knew she'd tease me later about being dressed like Natalie, probably something about wearing some of her short skirts and tight jackets while perched on a set of stilettos. We'd joked about it from time to time, she'd probably suggest I should wear something like that just so that she could take me bent across the sofa or table or something silly, Maura had a wicked imagination when she let it loose. She squirmed in a little closer and looked up as Ana walked in with a tray of coffee's, handing them out and settling down together on the other sofa. As usual Natalie ended up sitting with her back against Ana's shoulder, using her as a cushion; it was one of her favourite positions, as Ana looped her arm across Nat's shoulder and down across her front, where her fingers were entwined with Nats. Maura smiled a little and put her cup down.

"We have received an invitation to a function in New York, late next month" They both looked up, intrigued.

"Hmm, are you going?"

"It is for the Mayor's Charity Ball, we went last year and had a good time. The Ball is the catalyst for how we met Alexandra and Olivia" Natalie sat up a bit straighter.

"Oh, do tell?"

"Jane and I were shopping for clothes…"I couldn't let that statement go unchallenged.

"You were shopping, I was carrying the bags" Maura rolled her eyes as they snickered.

"Very well, I was shopping and Jane was kind enough to accompany me, when we visited an establishment I have been patronising for years as they have some wonderful dresses. I needed several new gowns for a number of charity events I was committed to attend"

"Not that Maura needs an excuse to shop" She peered up at me from the corner of her eye as I spoke. "Mind you the high end retail fashion industry would go into recession if she stopped" I got a mock scowl. "Sorry, carry on" Maura's scowl faded and she grinned at me, lighting up the room, god I lived for her smiles.

"I really do have no idea why I put up with your abuse" I noticed Nat and Ana exchange a grin as we spoke.

"Because you love me?" Maura's honey blond hair tossed in the light as she shook her head.

"Maybe" I tried again.

"Because of my many charms?"

"You have charms?" It was Ana; I didn't bother with a reply, just flipping the bird in her direction as Maura spoke, adopting a mocking tone.

"Do not get too full of yourself Detective, I have alternatives"

"Yeah, like who?" Maura smiled, correcting me automatically.

"Whom Jane, not who. I am sure Anastasia and Natalie here would be happy to take me in if I needed an alternative" She looked over at them. "Can I move in with you?" Ana just grinned like the Cheshire Cat while Nat chuckled wickedly.

"Sure, we've got a big bed, you're welcome anytime" I snorted at the idea.

"Romanov here? With the two of you, trying to keep you both satisfied? She'd be dead within a week, of exhaustion" I smiled as Ana smirked.

"There are worse ways to go" Maura looked across at Natalie.

"Natalie, could you start building up Anastasia's stamina please, I do like having options available" Nat mock saluted as I imagined Maura sandwiched between the two of them… Hmm, both hot and disturbing all at the same time.

"Aye aye captain" She twisted to look up at Ana, smiling. "Hear that Tsarina, stamina training, starting tonight" She got a groan from Ana.

"Oh god, not again" That got her a wink and a poke in the ribs.

"Stop complaining, you love it"

"Maybe" Nat gave Ana a wicked grin and settled back into Ana's embrace before she looked back at Maura, dragging the conversation back on track.

"You were talking about meeting Alex and Liv"

"Ah yes, to finish the story, at the time we walked into the dress shop, Alexandra was trying on dresses while Olivia was waiting. It turns out that Alex was shopping for a dress for the same function and we hit it off" I smiled; there was a whole pile of that story being left untold. (_See_ _**Hearts on the Shopping Block**_)

Natalie smiled as she leaned forward to pick up her coffee.

"Cool, there's been a lot of water under that bridge since"

"Indeed there has. I was chatting to Alex a few nights ago and they too have received an invitation to the Ball" Ana sniggered.

"You know what that means Jane? Dress shopping" They were both obviously surprised to see me break out into a smile at the idea, especially given my all too well-known reluctance to go shopping.

"Nuh uh, not this time" Before they could ask Maura spoke.

"The invitation simply states formal wear; it did not specifically state women must wear evening dresses as so many functions do. The last time we attended such a function Jane was kind enough to wear a tuxedo" Nat suddenly burst out laughing.

"I've heard all about that night, awesome" Maura smiled.

"Alex is having Olivia measured for a tuxedo this weekend" Ana nodded slowly.

"I'd like to see that, Liv'd look great and even you might manage to look good Jane" I just smiled widely at her.

"Jealousy's a curse Ana" Nat turned a happy smile on us.

"You have to get photos guys, I'd love to see you all dressed up, especially Jane and Liv" I turned to Maura and nodded approvingly.

"See, at least someone appreciates me" Before Maura could speak Nat interrupted.

"Liv yes, you? Not so much" I gave her a filthy look which she grinned at. "It should be a good night" Maura looked at me for a moment and a slow smile appeared, before she turned to them.

"Would you and Ana be able to join us? You know Olivia and Alexandra have been wanting you to come and visit them in New York" They both had a look of surprise, glancing at each other, then Nat day up and leaned forward.

"It would depend on if we can get the time off, when is it?" Maura sat up, her growing excitement obvious.

"Last Saturday evening of next month but you have to come, please?" Ana smiled.

"Wouldn't we be gate-crashing the do, I think they'd take a dim view of that" I smiled, that wouldn't be a problem, not with the amount the Isles Foundation usually donated, let alone what the Cabot family trust normally kicked in too.

"I can pretty much guarantee you an invitation will be on its way real soon" Maura nodded in agreement, all smiles as Nat and Ana had a quick silent conversation, then looked back at us, both nodding, before Nat broke into laughter.

"Yes! I've wanted to see Ana in a tux ever since Maura told me about Jane wearing one" I looked across at Ana, who was looking at Nat, smiling a trifle uncertainly at her entirely too enthusiastic response. "No ifs or buts Tsarina, we're going. I want to see you in a tux, no arguments" Anastasia shrugged.

"Looks like I'm comprehensively outvoted here, so it looks like we're all going as penguins" She looked across at me. "There is a bit of a problem though" Maura and Nat both frowned and Maura leaned forward.

"What problem is that?"

"Well I can understand fitting Jane into a tux, but then she looks like a long haired guy anyway. I on the other hand actually have curves..." She gestured to her ample tits. "...so it may be a bit more difficult" I scowled, Ana being a wise ass. Nat gave her gentle backhand to the arm as I smirked.

"Oh is that what you call all those extra pounds you've stacked on?" Her reply was a yelp.

"What pounds?" I knew she'd been full on in the gym in recent weeks, plus our sparring sessions had toned us both up, we were in great shape, didn't mean I wasn't going to tease her though.

"You've been hitting your own cooking a bit hard there Ana, probably four or five pounds overweight I'd say"

"Jane…" It was Maura, trying for serious and failing as she started giggling, Nat coming to Ana's rescue.

"As someone who conducts regular inspections of Ana, I can guarantee she's not carrying a single excess pound" Ana flashed a triumphant grin at me before leaning in to give Nat a quick kiss to the top of her head.

"Thanks Blondie, nice to know someone's on my side" Maura pinched me in the ribs.

"Neither of you in fact are carrying any excess weight, in fact both of you are in excellent physical condition" I smiled as Nat chuckled.

"They're both even more delicious than normal I'd say Maura, good thing indulging in them doesn't put weight on or we'd both be as big as a house" Ana looked down at her, an eyebrow raised.

"So is that how you see us, indulgences?" Nat was unfazed.

"The sweet treat that's good to eat" I screwed up my face.

"Ew!" Natalie was about to say something when Maura smiled.

"I do not recall you having any issues when I…mmph" I'd clapped my hand over her mouth when I realised what she was going to say.

"Maura!" I admonished. "TMI" That got a laugh from everyone, before Nat kicked that particular can a bit further down the road.

"You forget Jane, we've heard you two at it before, so no real secrets here" I looked at her and was about to say something when I felt something warm and wet on my palm as I jerked it away; Maura had licked it, I'd forgotten I was still holding it over her mouth.

"Thanks babe" I surreptitiously wiped my hand on my jeans. Maura was unfazed, a sly smile appearing, I swear she's becoming more like Nat all the time.

"Well, you do not normally object to me licking you so…" I held up a finger and tried for a stern look as a smirk appeared on her face.

"Not another word babe" I turned to Ana. "If Liv can squeze into a tux, you'll be fine" She nodded as Natalie got a thoughtful look on her face.

"Liv'd probably prefer a tux, she apparently doesn't really dress particularly feminine, not unless it's a special occasion and Alex piles on a ton of pressure. I've only seen her in a dress that night at Blush, the rest of the time she dresses in jeans and slacks and such" I nodded.

"Yeah, given where she works there are issues with being seen looking too good. That's why I always dress practically at work, working in Sex Crimes'd be much worse" Maura nodded thoughtfully.

"I understand she has worn dresses occaisionally, usually something Alex has purchased for her to attend a special function and which she only wears to make Alex happy, but I agree she does dress down most of the time" Nat smiled a little wistfully.

"A tragedy really, she's gorgeous normally, the only time I've seen her in a dress was Blush's LBD night and she looked amazing. they both did, it's a shame she denies her looks like that, dressed up in heels and the right gown she'd be stunning" Ana smiled.

"The perfect compliment to Alex, who makes anything she wears look good" I shrugged, picking up my coffee.

"Never going to happen, especially not working in SVU" Nat smiled a little wickedly.

"Never say never Jane, the Ball, the LBD night at Blush, that night at the Intersection, you wear plenty of hot dresses and look amazing, it just takes a little encouragement, even for a tom-boy like you. Give us time, we'll wear her down, same as we did with you" I thought about it for a moment and then shook my head. Not Liv, not a chance.

"Sorry Nat, but I can't see it happening" I saw a calculating look appear in her eyes.

"You willing to put money on it Jane?" I was about to say yes when Ana shook her head.

"I wouldn't Jane, Liv versus Nat? Liv doesn't stand a chance" I thought about it for a moment, I was pretty sure Liv wouldn't go 'girly' as she derisively called dressing up, but on the other hand Nat was both enthusiastic and determined. I turned to Natalie, seeing her challenging look and made a quick decision

"Sure Nat, I'd pay real money to see you get Liv to turn up for work in a skirt and jacket and heels. How about a straight hundred" I smiled, wondering if she was willing to ante up. I should have known better.

"You're on" Ana just shook her head.

"Hope your good for it Jane, cause I think you've just done your money" I didn't think so, I knew Liv. I turned a skeptical look at her.

"You think?" She nodded decisively.

"Liv versus Nat, plus Maura and Alex, might as well hand over your money now" I thought about that, looking over at where Maura and Natalie were exchanging a meaningful look.

"No fair Nat, you didn't say you were getting help" She shrugged, trying to look innocent and failing.

"You didn't make that part of our bet, besides, the moment Alex hears about it she'll be all for it, as for Maura, well..." I turned to Maura.

"Babe..." She smiled happily.

"It will do Olivia good to open herself up to new things, plus Alex will be overjoyed to see Olivia embrace her feminine side" I frowned a little, if all three blondes were pushing her I'd probably just done my money, as Ana had said. I wondered if I should warn Liv. Hmmm, probably not, sometimes ignorance really is bliss, besides she'd just be pissed that we were betting on her, especially given what it was about.

Anyway, I'd happily pay up if it meant I got to see Liv turn up to work in something like Alex or Nat's suits. I'd get to pay out on her forever after that.

I sat there for a moment, thinking about what Nat had said. Had I changed so much? I remembered all the times they'd coaxed me into dresses and heels, the fact that I'd be wearing Nat's skirt suits in Boston, the whole evening gown and heels thing at the LAPD Ball. Little by little they'd worn me down, I didn't wear them to work, but I'd grown used to dresses and skirts when needed. I wondered at what point things had changed that much, because change they had. I couldn't pinpoint a specific time, it just became accepted that if the dress code was feminine, then that's what I wore, mostly to make Maura and Natalie happy.

Jesus I was so whipped.

Ana was right, Liv didn't stand a chance.


	10. Chapter 10

**Intersecting Lines Book 2 **

**10 The Range**

Jane's viewpoint

"How's the wedding planning coming? Any luck with a venue?" I shrugged at Ana's words, not looking away from the target, squeezing off half a dozen shots, all in the centre mass 10 ring, before turning my head to look at Ana.

"I haven't really been keeping up with it, Maura drops some details here and there but mostly I leave it to them"

"You're joking right, I'd thought you'd be more involved than this, after all you're only doing this once" I stepped back from the lane and turned.

"Seriously?" I pulled the safety glasses off and laid them on the bench, followed by the ear defenders. "I'm leaving the planning in the hands of a certified genius, ably backed up by Natalie who's apparently a frustrated event planner and Alex who's apparently an anal retentive detail freak…" I shrugged, Maura and Natalie chatted about it several times a week, plus Alex Skyped in from New York at least once a week for a three-way planning session, Maura and Natalie together were capable of putting together fantastic things like The Intersection club nights or New Year's Eve, add Alex to the mix… "Anyway, I'm sure Nat's kept you in the loop" She shrugged.

"Mostly, it looks like it's going to be amazing, once they get a few things sorted. Y'know, minor details, like a venue, date, guest list, dresses, minor stuff" I grinned.

"All they'll let me do is turn up at the right time and place" She turned and snorted at that.

"Yeah right, as if. You worked out what you're wearing" She grinned nastily. "I'm sure you'll look lovely in that white princess-style dress Natalie was raving about" I knew she was revving me up so I just smiled.

"Yeah, as if" My smile widened to a grin as she rolled her eyes at me, before dragging us back to the subject while she reloaded her magazine with rounds out of the box. We were out at the FBI range as Ana got some time in; she was coming up for requalification later this month and wanted to make sure she was above the level required for the FBI's expert pistol rating.

"Do you know what you're wearing?" I looked up.

"You mean what we're wearing?" She paused as a smile appeared.

"I take it you want us both" I nodded once, of course I did, there wasn't a question I'd want them both with me. Ana nodded her head sagely. "Guessed as much, seeing Maura was having both Alex and Nat as bridesmaids" I looked down at the bench as I swapped out magazines, even though I could do that with my eyes closed, but it made a distraction.

"It'll be some kind of suit, Maura knows I don't want to be in a dress" Ana nodded once and settled the defenders over her ears before stepping up to the firing point in the lane next to mine, settling herself for a moment, facing to the right away from the lane, tapping the start button with her left hand. It was quiet for a few seconds, before the target came to a stop some 15 metres away and hung there, side on. It was programmed to randomly turn and face her for a few seconds then turn away. She stood there calmly for a bit before the target suddenly swung round, the dark outline coming to a stop facing her. Ana was already in action, spinning in place to face down the lane, partly dropping into a crouch, her right hand coming up as the left slammed up under her wrist, fingers wrapping round and steadying her aim as the first shot rang out.

Five seconds later the target flipped side on obscuring it, though you could see the torn paper from side on, showing where the shots had all gone. I nodded to myself. Ana had put ten rounds into it, all bar two inside the ten ring, the other two just outside it. Pushing the button to retrieve the target as she holstered her Glock, I wandered up next to her as we watched the target moving towards us. I nodded to myself, if that had been a bad guy he'd be deader than Julius Caesar right now. Ana picked up the conversation as the target approached.

"Yeah, I kinda figured that one out. You in a dress wasn't going to happen" We shared a glance before the target stopped in front of her. Almost all of her shots had gone through a circle less than three inches in diameter, with one shot almost two inches low and another inch and a half or so higher, leaving me frowning a little as I considered her shot grouping.

"The first shot was a fraction early, you shot as your hand came up" I indicated the lower shot. "The rest were well grouped, but they were starting to climb, not much but some" I let my finger drift up the shots before indicating the last, highest hole. "The last one, did you rush it?" Ana scowled at the target.

"Yeah, maybe, I also don't think I properly compensated for both recoil and the fact the gun was nine rounds lighter" I nodded sagely; it made sense.

"That sort of shooting will still be more than good enough to qualify, besides, if it'd been a gunman on the other end of those shots, all of them would have been pretty much instantly fatal" Ana's scowl held for a moment longer.

"I'd prefer it if all ten had been on target though" That was Ana, she was a perfectionist, never mind that she'd probably out shot more than 98% of her fellow agents, male and female, she still wasn't happy with her results. I could understand it though; when it came to shooting I felt the same way. Ana was good, damned good, I was just better. She shook her head again and moved back to the table to reload her Glock, stripping off the protective gear as she did while she glanced at me.

"You excited?"

"No, not really, it won't change anything between Maura and me, it's just a piece of paper" I rubbed at my right ear, the padding on the ear defender I'd been wearing was a bit worn on that side, it'd been irritating me all morning. "It won't change who we are"

"Nope, course not, but it is a very public statement of who and what you are" I thought that over as I watched her reload her Glock's magazine.

"It doesn't really mean that much to me, I'm not a very public person"

"Bull"

"What?"

"Tell that to everyone who's read about you or Maura over the last few years, the cases you've been involved with, plus especially the fact you're together"

"That's different, that's me being a cop, doing my job. I'm sure as hell no gay icon if that's what you're getting at"

"Maybe not to the public but to a lot of people in the LAPD you are" I turned to face her, curious.

"Me?" She nodded once.

"Yep, you and Maura both" I wasn't following her.

"Whadda you mean" She holstered her weapon then leaned back against the bench.

"Ever since the LAPD Ball, you, Maura and Nat have been role models to a lot of other gay people, especially lesbian cops" I frowned.

"What about you? I mean Nat's with you"

"I'm not LAPD, at the end of the day I'm considered a Fed, not LAPD whereas you three are each seen as being one of them"

"What about Brenda and Sharon? Don't people look up to them?"

"Not as many people know, after all they weren't out at the Ball, and they haven't exactly been too public about it so far"

"That'll change at the next Ball"

"Sure hope so" She hopped up to sit on the edge of the table. "Lots of people saw you and Maura, plenty more heard about it later, so you're public now" I thought about it, I suppose she was right, I'd decided that we wouldn't do anything to hide it at the Ball, we were a long way from Boston and no one here in the squad gave a fuck if we were gay.

"I guess" Ana nodded sagely.

"Lots of gay people in the Department look up to you, both of you" I turned to lean back against the bench next to her, turning my head to face her, ignoring the popping sounds from the far end of the range.

"I don't see it that way; I'm just doing my job"

"Just doing your job...right" She tipped her head to regard me. "To a lot of people who struggle with who they are, they see you, a famous cop, part of one of the highest profile squads in the LAPD, long history of solving high-profile crimes, Boston's first female homicide detective and youngest ever in Boston, as someone impressive, someone to look up to"

"That's just the job though, I was just doing what I'm paid for" Ana rolled her eyes.

"I'm not sure even you believe that" She looked over at me. "You've done all that, then come out as gay, your partner is one of the smartest, most beautiful and committed women I've ever met, together you've been an outstandingly effective team solving crimes, your record speaks for itself there, it's all over the net, been all over TV and the papers too. Then you both move out here, you're open about your sexuality at one of the LAPD's most public events and everyone, I mean everyone, was talking about our little performance at the Ball" I snorted.

"That just means 'everyone' must have too much time on their hands if they spend their time gossiping about us" She sighed.

"You don't get it do you Jane?" I wasn't following her.

"Get what?"

"Look, you went gay for one reason, Maura, right?" She grinned and gave me a wink. "Totally understandible reason, lots would for her, or you for that matter" I went to say something but she held her hand up as she kept talking. "Let me finish OK? You're a very good looking woman engaged to be married to another very good looking woman. You two together are striking, people notice you together and they're envious of how obviously happy you both are. On top of that you're both outstanding at your job, being gay's been no impediment to that either" I had to give her that.

"Yeah, I don't see the point though" She turned her head to look at me.

"Compare that with a young female beat cop, in the middle of a sea of male colleagues, and like we both know, too many cops behave like frat boys. She's either gay but still in the closet or maybe unsure of her sexuality, not sure if her being attracted to women is weird. God knows the average male beat cop's not going to be much help, their thoughts on lesbian's range from male fantasies about watching two lesbians go at it before they join in and have them both" I snorted at that, why in hell would I be interested in a guy if I was gay, let alone share Maura with them? Ana just nodded resignedly. "Yeah, God knows we've been asked enough times" She shook her head slowly at that particular stupidity then continued. "The other prevailing opinion is that lesbians are women who are frigid, can't get a guy and settle for a woman or who just need a fuck from a real man to set them straight" We exchanged a truly disgusted look, we'd both heard that last one too many times. "So our young lesbian cop is scared of what the other guys on her shift will say; will they ostracise her, will it hurt her career, will they trust her anymore to do her job, there's still a lot of prejudice out there, even if it is the twenty first century" I nodded.

"My Lieutenant back in Boston, Cavenaugh, old school cop, solid as they come, I thought he'd be fine, after all he'd signed off on enough commendations and citations over the years for my work, turned out to hate gays. Tried to make my life hell, he couldn't touch Maura, but me; he let it be known that I was fair game. Every sexist pig in the place took their best shot" I shrugged. "I gave as good as I got but I started getting all the shitty details, the crap assignments, or I'd be given the hardest cases and starved of resources" Ana grimaced.

"Unfortunately there are fools like that everywhere" I sighed in agreement, she wasn't wrong there.

"Yeah, another detective in homicide back in Boston, Riley Cooper, she's involved with Susie, one of Maura's criminologists, given Cavenaugh's treatment of me, they've kept it quiet, really quiet, just to avoid his BS" She nodded emphatically.

"Exactly. So lesbians worry about that sort of treatment, they wonder if the Department will support them, with good reason. Despite all the good words and policies and supportive statements from HR and Pope, that's all a bit terrifying to the average young female cop, then one of the force's top detectives and the chief medical examiner behave like being gay's the most natural thing in the world at the Ball"

"As does the head of Media and the FBI liaison"

"Yeah, we all behaved like being gay is nothing, right out there in front of everyone and word gets around. People talk about it, our young female cop talks about it, sometimes to their partners, hopefully the partner's supportive, they might go onto the unofficial LAPD forums and talk about it, it gets mentioned in the wider LA gay community, including comments in some of the LGBT media, it's a big thing for a lot of people"

"I'm surprised that it was us, I would have thought we weren't the first" Ana nodded once.

"We weren't, but a few lower-ranked officers felt intimidated or were hassled about it from other cops which made others a bit gun shy. That's why Andrea and Mikki weren't there; Andrea was concerned that it would cause Mikki grief for no good reason. They told us that over dinner at our place a month back, after Nat asked. They were really pissed, said that if they'd known about us being there they would have come and they're definitely going to this year's ball"

"I'd wondered about that, I mean Mendoza doesn't strike me as a shrinking violet about pretty much anything"

"It was Andrea, she'd heard of other gays suffering for being out in public in front of the LAPD, she didn't want Mikki to be on the receiving end of that"

"Is her boss Ruiz a problem?"

"Apparently not, but a couple of his Lieutenants and Sargeants are old school homophobes" I thought about that for a moment.

"If nothing's changed there, won't coming out at the Ball cause precisely the grief Andrea was worried about?" Ana rocked her hand in a so-so gesture.

"Maybe, maybe not, after all, Pope has six lesbians on his senior officer's team, that there's a statement all on its own" I thought about it then shook my head.

"Not many people know about that, though when Brenda and Sharon go public..." Ana nodded.

"Yeah, that'll really set the cat amongst the pigeons. The two most senior female officers on the force, gay" I frowned, thinking back at the comments I heard, and received, over the years, then spoke.

"For a lot of cops though, it'll just reinforce the stereotypes" She nodded agreeably.

"There are always going to be hold-outs, prejudices too hard wired to change, some people will feel threatened, they hate change or don't like gays for any number of stupid reasons. I mean some people still don't like Asians or Blacks for the same reasons" She shrugged. "There will always be lost causes. It's the ones who aren't lost, who will adjust that are important"

"I still don't feel like a role model" Ana shrugged again.

"Then don't think of it like that. Just be the outstanding cop you are and let that be your legacy. There's still an under-representation of women in the detective ranks, show everyone, even the sexist pigs, that being a woman, let alone a lesbian, is no impediment to being a damned good cop" I nodded and smiled.

"Now that, I can get on board with"


	11. Chapter 11

**Intersecting Lines Book 2 **

**11 Revelations**

Anastasia's viewpoint

We were reconvening in FIDs conference room, yet another after-hours discussion so Jane had suggested that Natalie and Maura join us, that way we could head straight home afterwards.

I'd spent some time earlier this afternoon talking to Justice, which had been about as painful as pulling teeth; the info I'd finally dragged out of them though was disturbing, to put it mildly. Now I was getting to share the 'fun' around.

"I have the final figures on the Witsec deaths here in Los Angeles and its worse than we first thought" I got a collection of questioning looks and raised eyebrows as I continued. "In total nine Witsec protected people have died here in LA in the last four years, plus another who disappeared and reappeared back in Mexico" Sharon marginally beat Brenda, her voice reflecting her stunned surprise.

"Nine?"

"You're joking" I nodded.

"I wish I was; nine" Staring at me, Brenda's voice was full of sardonic disbelief.

"To lose one or even two might be mischance, but nine, that sounds like carelessness" I smiled at her joke before looking back down at my notes.

"One died in a jewelry store robbery gone wrong, shot by a security guard" Nat smiled.

"Looks like someone was sliding back into bad habits" I nodded and smiled as a glance passed between us; that had been Justice's take as well.

"Another died in a car accident, ran a red light and was collected by another car, a kindergarten school teacher would you believe?" Brenda smiled and looked at Sharon.

"I think we can discount that one" Sharon gave her a sideways glance and a tiny smile before speaking, her voice deadpan.

"A teacher? No, they don't really fit the profile" Maura leaned forward, an intrigued look on her face.

"And the others; were they all former cartel members?" I looked down at my notes once more although I already knew the answer.

"Yep, all seven remaining Witsec people were former Mexican cartel members, four were ex-Sinaloa, the others were from the Tijuana, Juarez and Gulf cartels, all dead in the last four years. Five of them at the hands of cops, all in Robbery / Homicide; three by Kennedy, one by Powell and Lieutenant Di Marco's one" There were stunned looks around the table. Sharon had given me the names of all Robbery/Homicide fatal OIS victims for the last five years and I'd spent the afternoon going through them, comparing them to a list of the Witsec deceased, that one provided by Justice's Witsec-cleared computer person.

"A tenth person, a former Sinaloa cartel accountant, they were the one who disappeared. She'd had an apparent attack of conscience, turned up at a Bureau office in Texas four years ago and handed over her set of books, the resultant investigation cost the Cartel tens of millions. She was put into Witsec and they gave her a new life as a bookkeeper for a studio here in LA. She didn't turn up for work one day about five months ago and an investigation started, she was eventually found in Mexico a week later, dead" I shook my head, trying to banish the description of how she'd been found from my mind. Brenda looked like she'd tasted something foul.

"That means we have potentially four members of Robbery/Homicide involved" Nat looked confused.

"Four, how do you figure that?" Sharon looked across at her.

"It's likely that each of their partners were involved, to provide an alibi for the OIS, that means that Di Marco's partner Julia Humphries is almost certainly involved, providing an alibi even if she's not the one's actually doing the shooting" Jane nodded as she looked over to Nat.

"Nat, cop partners are close, they spend most of their working day together, they work together, sit at adjacent desks, eat together, share stakeouts, many socialise together with their families out of hours. The chance of Di Marco pulling this off without his partner's knowledge and support are practically non-existent" I saw Nat look to me with an unspoken question so I nodded.

"For most of the time you've known me I've been a liaison officer, running solo. Before that though I've had partners, both in the Bureau and back in the Army, I was pretty close to some of them" She nodded.

"Do you miss that?" I waggled my hand in a noncommittal gesture.

"Yes and no. There's good and bad in every partnership, some were good at their jobs but had some personality traits that I didn't particularly care for. I've kinda got used to being a liaison officer" Brenda looked up.

"Besides, if you have a partner here, it's probably Jane" I looked across at Brenda in surprise. "You may not work with her all the time but you're close enough and work well together" I looked across to Jane and saw her thinking it over as well, before she looked up at me.

"Possibly" She grinned at me. "Someone's got to keep her out of trouble" I snorted.

"You; the hell you are, you can't even keep yourself out of trouble" I saw Maura and Natalie give a nice display of synchronized eye rolling as Brenda and Sharon smiled, before Maura shook her head, smiling indulgently at Jane. I saw Nat smirking at me and spoke, a little defensively.

"What?"

"Maura and I need to keep you out of trouble" We grinned at each other for a moment, I could tell she was thinking over all the trouble we'd got into together before Sharon dragged us back on track.

"You mentioned that seven Witsec protectees died; how did the other two non-OIS victims die?" I flipped open my notes.

"Lorenzo Medina, 31 year old male, formerly a Juarez cartel drug courier handler before he flipped. He was found dead in his apartment, together with a prostitute, both shot in the head, apparently killed during a robbery over two years ago" I glanced up to see everyone frowning, I'd done the same when I heard that, the coincidences were a little too pat.

Maura leaned forward in her chair.

"Was the case ever closed, a suspect found?" I shook my head.

"Nope, there was almost no evidence found, so the case is still open" She pursed her lips and sat back, saying nothing, obviously thinking about it. Brenda looked at her, then across at me.

"Gunshots to the head of both victims seems a little too careful for a robbery gone wrong" I nodded.

"So you'd think, but the case went nowhere" Brenda frowned as Sharon spoke.

"What about the other one, let me guess, an unexplained death too?" I nodded unhappily.

"Afraid so, Esteban Alonso, a former pimp manager for the Gulf Cartel, found dead in his bedroom with a 9mm gunshot to the head at short range, so short in fact that the shot had to have come from less than three feet away" Nat looked confused..

"Pimp manager, what's a pimp manager?" Jane jumped in.

"Someone in a gang who controls the actions of a number of pimps, makes sure each pimp's meeting his quota, that there are no turf fights about where each one's string of girls are operating, basically a mob's middle management position" Nat shook her head.

"Sounds more like a corporation than criminals" I smiled, this was an area I knew something about; I'd done a stint in organised crime at the Washington Field Office before my posting out to Seattle.

"That they are, more and more they've taken on the same trappings, partly because it's an efficient way to do things, partly because more and more senior criminals either have business degrees or employ advisors with MBAs" Nat just shook her head again.

"What's the world coming too?" Suddenly Maura leaned forward; something in her eye caught my attention.

"Which detectives were assigned to these two unsolved cases and do they have any connection to Robbery / Homicide?" I smiled for a moment at her perspicuity before turning to Sharon.

"I did some digging, it turns out the Medina case was assigned to a detective who had been recently assigned to Robbery / Homicide, Tony Di Marco" Brenda frowned; I could see her joining the dots.

"What about the other case?" I shrugged.

"It was a Robbery / Homicide case too but I didn't have the details about who was lead officer" She nodded to herself for a moment then looked across at Sharon, their eyes meeting.

"Sharon, could you please get a list of all Robbery / Homicide OIS cases going back at least four years?" Sharon nodded slowly, obviously they were both thinking along the same lines, it didn't surprise me really, those two, for all their personality and exterior differences often thought in almost spooky synch. She stood and moved towards the door.

"Be back in a few minutes" I saw her head to her desk as Brenda spoke.

"Jane here suggested that there might be more than one bad apple in Robbery / Homicide and it looks like she's right"

"Wish I hadn't been" Jane muttered, loud enough for us to hear, before she looked up at Brenda "What are you thinking?"

"I think we need to sit down and look for patterns across all the OIS involving Robbery / Homicide for the past few years, see if there's a common theme to any of them" I nodded, seeing Maura and Nat nodding as well.

"If we're right, it means that there are at least four rotten apples in Robbery Homicide, maybe more" Nat looked between us.

"More?" I nodded slowly, thinking it through.

"If they could recruit one or two cops, why not recruit more, it must have been getting more and more difficult to explain away Kennedy and Powell's OIS, this way the shootings have been spread across another pair of detectives, who are we to assume that they stopped at one pair of accomplices" Jane's voice was quiet.

"Hmm, what do you think they're offering to make cops turn to killers?" Brenda's voice was quiet.

"I'd hazard a guess and suggest it's one of the three classic motivations"

"Classic?" It was Jane. "What do you mean?"

"There are a number of primary motivations for people doing things which betray their allegiance" Brenda had been sitting quietly at the end of the table, letting us talk it out, that was often how she worked, let her people talk it out, occasionally stepping in to steer the direction but mostly letting her people have their head. "Ego, money and revenge, the same ones that motivate the majority of spies and defectors" Maura looked across at Brenda and nodded.

"In this case it could be ego, driven by the need to act as some sort of vigilante" She frowned for a moment. "Unlikely but possible, however a far more likely reason would be money, a detective's remuneration is not all that generous and a suitably appropriate monetary incentive may explain the decision" Jane nodded.

"I don't think they're doing it out of revenge, if they were killing criminals indiscriminately I could kinda understand it but this is way too targeted" She looked round the table. "I think we all know who'd pay well to have people in Witsec killed" We nodded as Nat put it into words.

"The cartels have been moving into the states for the last few years, they've had a few setbacks, like their attacks last year, but that won't stop them for long" I nodded to back her up.

"This way they get revenge on people who've betrayed them while staying at a distance"

"We need to find several things" Brenda frowned. "How they're finding these people in Witsec, how they're contacting the cartels, if that in fact is who's paying them to do it, and how many might be involved"

Just then Sharon walked back in, a sheaf of papers in her hand.

"I can't help with the first two, but I may have a lead on the third one" She dropped the papers on the desk. "This is a list of all the Robbery / Homicide OIS cases for the last five years" I looked over at the sheaf of papers and felt my eyebrows rise. Maura beat me to it.

"Exactly how many are we looking at Sharon?" Sharon looked down at the list.

"One hundred sixty four" At our shocked reactions she held up her hand. "That's total investigations, most of which were cleared, officers shooting in response to being shot at, that sort of thing. Sometimes it's three or four officers all discharging their weapons at the same target, each is considered a seperate OIS investigation. The total number of fatal OIS is fourteen" She frowned as we glanced around the table in shock.

"It's a high number but not totally out of line with a division that investigates and arrests people who commit murder in the course of their crimes, many of them don't particularly wish to surrender peacefully. For example Major Crimes over the same period has a similar number of OIS, fewer fatals though" Brenda nodded once.

"Assume that we ignore all but the fatal ones, how many officers are we looking at?" Sharon leaned forward and separated the papers into two bundles, pushing the larger pile to one side and then spending a few seconds sorting the smaller pile before she spoke, leafing through the sheets in her hand as she did.

"In date order we have Kennedy, Kennedy again, Powell, Richards, Di Marco, Cortez, Powell, Schmidt, Chan, Lopez, Di Marco, Taylor, Osmond and Kennedy once more" Nat looked up from her notepad where she'd been keeping score.

"So fourteen fatals committed by ten officers" Sharon nodded.

"I think we can discount Richards though, his was a pretty straightforward case, a suspect tried shooting it out at a 7/11 robbery gone wrong" She looked down at the names again. "Schmidt's probably clean as well, he was only three months off retiring, he took early retirement after the shooting" At their looks she clarified her words. "During a shootout with a gang, his shot missed and went through a window, hitting a child inside, a head shot, the boy died instantly"

There were grimaces around the room; it was a cop's worst nightmare. Finally Jane shook herself out of the collective reverie and spoke.

"Assume then that Powell and Kennedy were the first, based on the date of their first Witsec-related shootings" There were nods all round. "That means that DiMarco and Humphries somehow got involved; recruited to join them, with possibly some of the others also roped in" Nat looked up from her list.

"Discounting Kennedy, Powell and DiMarco, plus Schmidt and Richards that leaves us with Cortez, Chan, Lopez, Taylor and Osmond" I suddenly frowned.

"Taylor? Commander Taylor?" Sharon nodded.

"He was involved in an OIS, the same one as Lopez actually, a gang targeting small bank branches. They'd hit several before the Robbery / Homicide team worked out their pattern, they were waiting for them at the next bank they hit, most went quietly but one didn't, he decided to shoot it out and both Taylor and Lopez fired, both shots were fatal, so both qualified" Brenda cleared her throat.

"God knows I'm no fan of the man..." She paused as a wave of agreement swept the table, only Jane didn't have to deal with Taylor regularly, the rest of us unfortunately did. "But even I can't see him being a part of something like this" I nodded; the man was a sexist pig and a scheming fool, but a murderer, nah, not likely. Maura looked around the table.

"That would seem to discount Detective Lopez as well, would you not agree?" We looked around the room and nodded in general agreement as Nat ran her pen through two more names.

"That leaves Cortez, Chan and Osmond" Brenda turned to Jane.

"I'd like you to work with Sharon and me on this, doing the legwork as we look into all three officers please" Jane nodded once as Brenda turned her attention to Maura.

"Could I please ask you to take a look at the autopsy reports of those three shootings? It's not that I don't trust Doctor Morales' original findings, but you're coming at it from a different perspective" Maura smiled.

"Of course, I will commence first thing in the morning" That set off a wave of checking watches and phones; it was starting to get late. Brenda nodded.

"Time to wrap up for the evening" She looked round the table. "I'm sorry to hold you all back" We stood and started gathering our things when Nat spoke up.

"One question though, how do you go about recruiting a cop to become an assassin? Hey Joe, you want to kill people as a hobby?" Maura frowned.

"I will grant you it does rather seem far-fetched" Jane nodded.

"You're not wrong; we're going to need some definitive evidence before we can take this to anyone senior" Brenda tilted her head at Jane in acknowledgement.

"That's the evidence we have to find" She looked across at me. "We also need to find some way to link Kennedy and Co back to Justice" I nodded, that would be my job, I was the only one with access to Justice, they were pissed enough that I was sniffing around, no way they'd sit still for someone from the LAPD sticking their noses in. Jane looked round the room, taking us all in.

"Looks like we're all going to be busy"


	12. Chapter 12

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**12 Party Hard Part 1**

Brenda's viewpoint

Well, this was it, the moment of truth. I'd agreed to this an age ago, well actually Sharon had then told me, so I couldn't put it off any more, much as I'd like too. I looked down at my clothes, if you could call them that, and swallowed. I couldn't believe that I was actually going through with this, what was I thinking? I was almost fifty for god's sake, not in my prime like Natalie or Maura.

"Shit Brenda, we'd better stand between you and Sharon, otherwise she may jump you on the spot" I looked up at Natalie's voice, seeing the smile there, matched by Maura's. I shook my head ruefully.

"I don't know about this" I muttered, then turned to the mirror. "I'm not so sure this is a good idea" Maura stepped forward and laid her hand on my shoulder.

"Brenda, you look fantastic, Sharon will not know what hit her" Natalie leaned against the wall, her eyes openly and frankly appraising me before smiling.

"Let me put it this way Brenda, if you'd worn that when you and Sharon were first getting interested in each other, you wouldn't have gone home alone after the first date" I felt myself blushing a little at their praise.

"I still don't think I'm ready for this" Natalie's laugh was instant.

"You don't? I know Sharon's not going to be ready for you like this, god help her" Maura nodded in agreement.

"Brenda, you have a slim, toned figure, long legs, firm breasts and lovely hair, what you are wearing emphasises those assets in a way that Sharon will be powerless to resist" I stared into the mirror, seeing the woman there biting into the corner of her bottom lip in obvious nervousness.

When I'd been told I was wearing a black dress and asked for my measurements I'd been relieved, nothing wrong with that, or so I'd thought. When it came to these two, I should have known better. After arriving at Maura and Jane's we'd had a coffee with everyone before Nat and Maura had bundled me into the main bedroom. I'd last seen Sharon being led off by Ana and Jane, god knows what she was doing, probably something equally mortifying.

They'd handed me a skimpy black lace thong and matching silk and lace barely there strapless bra still in their Agent Provocateur bag and told me to go get changed in the bathroom. After changing into what was a really lovely set of very soft, very expensive and very sexy lingerie, I had walked out to see them waiting for me, my vanity had appreciated the smiles and positive comments but when they held up the 'dress' my self confidence had plummeted.

It was black latex for god's sake, it would cling to me like a second skin and everything would be on show. Sleeveless, the area above the sweetheart bodice was a thin mesh that showed the skin underneath, hence the strapless bra, the hem was a good six inches above the knee and I swallowed at the thought of wearing it. I tried to back out but they were adamant, telling me I'd look great, that it'd fit perfectly.

Too perfectly was my worry, that dress was so tight I might as well wear nothing. Looking at it on the hangar I knew I'd die of embarrassment, the reality was even worse. I pulled it on, feeling the tightness of the material as it slid over my body, both of them helping get it settled, before I stood there in front of the mirror. The sight was enough to make me cringe; I looked like some shameless porn star.

"Oh god, I can't go out like this, everyone will be laughing at me" The disbelief on Natalie's face was plain.

"What? Laughing? Drooling more likely" Maura placed her hands on my shoulders and turned me to face her.

"Brenda, you need to listen to me. You look amazing and therefore you will attract a lot of attention from other people tonight, you do look remarkable, so stay close to Sharon. In fact you will need to stay close to each other, both of you will be hit on, so be ready" Nat nodded emphatically.

"Sure thing, Sharon's going to be just as hot as you, so keep your eyes on her too, she'll need saving too" I looked up at Natalie, my mouth twisting with annoyance.

"You keep telling me she'll look good but you won't tell me what she's wearing" They exchanged a glance, wearing matching sly grins as Maura spoke.

"Why spoil the surprise Brenda? The pleasure of discovery is one far too good to pass up" Natalie got a far away look in her eyes before coming back to us.

"I remember the first night we went to Club Night at The Intersection, Jane had no clue what Maura was going to be wearing" She suddenly grinned at me, obviously a very happy memory. "Oh god Brenda, the look on her face when she saw Maura was priceless" I looked at them both, taking in how they were dressed.

Natalie in a pair of almost indecently tight black leather trousers and a matching tight leather halter crop top zipped together at the front, Maura in a clinging green latex dress, exposing the swell of her breasts and her legs, both looked stunning but they were a decade younger than me, I was no spring chicken and I couldn't shake the feeling that I looked a fool dressed like this. Natalie must have read my thoughts.

"Don't worry Brenda, we wouldn't let you out dressed like that if we didn't think you looked great" She smiled. "Tell you what, if you don't believe us, wait until Sharon see's you, you can make your mind up based on her reaction"

With no real comeback to that I had to let it drop as we helped each other get ready, fixing each other's hair and make up. We ended up with heavier, more dramatic makeup than I ever normally used, plus heavily tousled hair, definitely not my usual style, more a club look; only appropriate really as we were off to LA's hottest lesbian night club, The Intersection.

The reality of that hit me, we were off to a notorious lesbian pick up joint, full of celebrities and beautiful people, what in hell was I doing there, I wouldn't fit in, I'd be a joke, everyone would laugh at me, what was I doing? Natalie must have seen the oncoming panic attack as she snapped her fingers loudly and spoke, breaking my concentration.

"Brenda...BRENDA!" I looked up at her, focussing on her smirk. "Get your head out of your head and concentrate on how Sharon's going to handle you dressed like that, not to mention what she's going to want to do to you" Maura chuckled.

"Or what you will wish to do to her when you see what she is wearing" I nodded hesitantly, still not believing them, before I sat down, pulling on my favourite black heels, well they were Sharon's favourite actually, which made them mine, she'd made her appreciation known enough times to ensure I'd wear them when I wanted to impress her, I just hope I didn't fall off the four inch heels on the dance floor.

We made our way out into the main room, to find them waiting for us, Jane and Ana looked fantastic, but Sharon...

I felt all the moisture flee my mouth, looking at her there dressed like that, as it pooled somewhere else entirely. I'd always loved her legs, in a LBD, peeking out from under her tailored business skirts, emerging from her dressing gown at breakfast, best of all being wrapped in them, but now...

Sharon was wearing black latex stockings that clung to her legs, highlighting and moulding her already spectacular legs into something to drool over; perched on a set of black patent leather four inch spike heels they looked endless. The stockings were thigh high but still ended a few inches below a tight turquoise dress in something like vinyl with a cut out over her décolletage, it was short enough that my eyes were drawn to that gap between stockings and skirt; I already wanted to run my tongue all over that band of flesh, before exploring higher. Her butt was covered, but the bottom of her skirt was short enough that I knew she'd be the subject of hungry stares all night.

I looked up into her green eyes, seeing the uncertainty and nerves there, mixed with love and lust as she ran her eyes over me equally appreciatively, feeling warmth grow within me, just knowing what she was going to do to me tonight, my voice was low and full of desire.

"So Sharon, do you approve?" Sharon ran her eyes up and down my body slowly once again; taking her time, taking me in with a hungry gaze before she nodded then spoke, her voice low and a little throaty. I knew that sound, she was very turned on.

"Oh yes, absolutely" I smiled a little, a throbbing need at my core ignited by the obvious want in her eyes. I licked my lips as I desperately dragged my eyes from her, before I forgot all about going out tonight. I turned to look at Jane and Ana, only to find they weren't helping. Jane was wearing black leather pants similar to Natalie's but the top was a matching leather bustier, encased like that, perched on high heels, she was an amazon, standing tall and strong and judging by the predatory smile on Maura's lips, just what Maura wanted.

Natalie was walking over to Ana, who stood there in a red dress, vinyl by the look of it, her lush curves drawing the eye over her body and down to her high heel clad feet, I'd always known Anastasia had a great body, but wrapped up like that she was even more amazing, an opinion Natalie obviously shared as she stepped into her lover's arms for a passionate kiss. Watching them lose themselves in a kiss like that was stoking my own fires even hotter, which wasn't helping my self control one little bit.

I looked over to Sharon again, to see her nibbling at the corner of her lip before she looked up at me.

"Do I look ok honey?" I caught the undertone of uncertainty, if I was having issues with this, Sharon, who was 55 must be having the same misgivings, if not worse. I looked her up and down, taking my time, quite blatantly ogling her, she looked amazing and I wanted her right then and there.

"Better than ok Sharon" I shook my head, seeing a smile appear at my words. "Wow" I heard a low chuckle from Jane.

"What did I tell you Sharon, I knew she'd approve" I looked across to see Jane there with her arm around Maura, a happy grin on her face.

I looked back at Sharon, to see that smirk that just screams sexy and playful and everything she is to me and I had to look down, before she saw just how much I wanted her, needed her right now. I saw her feet appear in my vision as she walked towards me as I slowly lifted my eyes up the length of her sinfully sexy legs and over her tightly packaged body, finally coming to rest in her sparkling green eyes, which seemed darker than normal, maybe it was her contacts, as she leaned in to whisper into my ear.

"I cannot wait to have you tonight Brenda" I sucked in my breath, realizing that wasn't her contacts, it was naked desire I was seeing in her eyes. Before I could respond she leaned in even closer and her lips dropped onto my neck, drawing a gasp at the contact, her lips lighting a fire that made me want to combust right then and there.

Letting my head drop to the side I heard a gentle moan, before realising with embarrassment the sound had come from me. I opened my eyes, which had somehow dropped shut, expecting the others to be smirking at me, but instead I saw Maura snuggled in Jane's embrace, both their eyes closed as they revelled in the contact. Natalie and Ana were still kissing, gentler now than their initial passion-filled efforts, now it was soft and teasing and full of love, both of them smiling gently as their hands rested on each others hips.

I was about to take Sharon's hips in mine when there was a tone from a phone on the table, Maura unwinding herself from Jane with regret to walk over and pick it up, her lips quirking in a smile as she read the note.

"I am sorry to have to bring this to a temporary halt but our car is here, perhaps we should gather our things and be on our way" I nodded with regret and pulled back, the things Sharon was doing with her lips were rapidly exhausting my self-control, if we didn't stop now we'd never get going. I pulled back a little and smiled at the tiny pout on her lips.

"Don't worry sweetie, that was wonderful and I can't wait to do a lot more of that when we're alone" The pout disappeared, replaced by a wicked grin, one I was sure she was seeing on my lips too.

"C'mon Brenda, let's get going before I have my wicked way with you"

"Oh sweetie, you're gonna have your way with me, right after I have mine with you" She stepped away from me and grinned.

"Promises promises" Feeling naughty and bold I leaned in again.

"Oh Sharon, when it comes to you I always keep my promises" The narrowing of her eyes told me I'd hit my target, as I smirked and turned away, knowing this was going to be one hell of a night.

One limo ride later and we were dropped at the kerb in front of The Intersection as I groaned at the length of the line to get in. It didn't faze the others though; they led us past the queue and up to the head of the line, ignoring the crowd's appreciative cat calls and shouts, to where we were greeted with enthusiasm by the door staff, an extremely toned-looking red-haired woman with a broad Irish lilt and a dark man-mountain of muscle who looked like he bench-pressed cars in his spare time.

"Ladies, so good to have you back again, we've missed you" There was laughter and greetings all round, before the woman spoke again. "My god, who do we have here, who are these gorgeous creatures" It took a moment to realise she was referring to Sharon and I, before I felt myself blushing. Jane laughed.

"Aisling, met Sharon and Brenda, they work with us" I looked up to see myself being appraised by a pair of bright green eyes. "Sharon, Brenda, meet Aisling, she and Cletus here handle security here at The Intersection" The smile that accompanied Aisling's appraising gaze was in equal measure friendly and predatory as she took us both in.

"Ladies, you are both very, very welcome. Normally I'd give you the lecture about keeping your dates close, given the sharks that swim inside, especially given how good you both look, but you're with the biggest sharks of all tonight, so they'll keep you safe" I smiled and nodded as the huge black man spoke, his voice surprisingly gentle, I was expecting something like a rock crusher maybe but instead he sounded like a merchant banker.

"It's good to see you ladies, it's been too long, it's always easier when you visit, the trash are a bit better behaved when you're in the house" Ana laughed.

"We don't want to do you out of a job guys" There was general laughter as Aisling unhooked the rope.

"We'll try and drop round for a drink and a chat later, OK?" There were nods and smiles all round as we thanked them for letting us in, before we plunged into the noisy darkness within.

The floor was full of people dancing close to a thumping beat. Natalie and Maura led the way round the floor to a set of doors, pushing through and leading us downstairs. We passed through a further series of doors, each one cutting the sounds down a little further, until the final one took us into a basement restaurant, quiet enough to enjoy both the food and conversation.

We were met with a smile by the female maître d' who quickly led us to a table, greeting the others by name and smiling widely when we were introduced, before departing with a promise to send over a waitress quickly to take our drinks orders. I looked after her with a speculative look and then turned to look at Natalie and Maura.

"I get the impression you're all well known here?" Natalie and Jane shrugged while Maura smiled before Ana spoke.

"We had an interesting adventure here on our first night, we dealt with an actress here who was hitting on Jane, well Nat and Maura did really. The actress and her posse weren't particularly welcome anyway, after that incident she left and hasn't been back, much to most people's relief. Word got around after that" Jane smiled.

"The next time here one woman wouldn't leave Maura alone, so Ana dealt with her and then handed her over to Aisling; apparently she bounced quite hard when they tossed her out. We also intervened once or twice when someone was doing something stupid, after that word got around not to mess with us and that we're cops to boot. Ever since then things have been a bit quieter" Sharon nodded.

"That explains the warm welcome from the people on the door" There was general laughter before Jane spoke.

"Kinda, plus Aisling at first thought we were all in some sort of open relationship because of something that happened here on our first night. Ever since then she's let it be known that she's interested in us, not too intrusive, just in a 'keep me in mind' sort of way" I laughed, I could see the attraction of worming your way into an open relationship with these four, they were all gorgeous and tonight's clothes were just making that even more obvious.

Dinner was nice, not fantastic but the company more than made up for it. I was actually picking up a quite different vibe from our friends tonight, less constrained, more free, the laughter was easier, the conversation flowing and full of teasing, some of it quite blatantly sexual, even Jane had relaxed, far more so than I was used to seeing from our intense detective. Over dinner it came out that they had been here several times now and each night had been memorable, not just for the club but for the aftermath. I nodded to myself, realising that was the difference I was seeing.

Tonight was about shedding inhibitions, they were all letting go and giving in to the moment, enjoying the chance to just be lovers out for a night of wild fun and teasing with their closest friends, something that made me feel warm just being here with them, to be accepted and to be part of their night.

Casually glancing around I noticed how many glances, looks and outright appraising stares were being directed at our table, though given how good the others looked I wasn't surprised.

Honestly, all four of them looked stunning, they could have anyone they wanted with a look and a smile but just as honestly though they had eyes for none bar the one they loved. For all their teasing there was a undertone of love and closeness amongst all four of them that I found simply amazing, even more so as they had extended that same feeling to Sharon and I, something I was so grateful for.

I smiled as Natalie wound her arm around Sharon's neck and kissed her cheek while Jane took a photo, then laughed as Sharon blushed at the image shown to her, before Jane passed the phone across to Natalie and I found myself with Jane and Ana cuddling close on each side for a photo. Natalie looked down at the shot and laughed.

"Alex and Liv are gonna be so jealous they're not here" Ana nodded.

"One day" Sharon leaned forward.

"You haven't brought them here yet?" Natalie shook her head.

"No, they've never been in town on a Club Night; shame really, I know they'd have a ball" Jane laughed, gesturing at Maura and Natalie.

"Besides, can you imagine what these two would do with them, what they'd end up wearing?" There were grins all round before Maura spoke.

"When you have such good material with which to work, the job is easy" She waved in our direction. "Sharon and Brenda being a case in point" I blushed, before looking over at Sharon and smiling, appreciating her all over again, I'd almost managed to forget just how provocatively we were dressed, till I looked down and saw the tight latex stretched over my breasts and the expanse of my uncovered thighs, feeling a tingle of embarrassment at how much of me was on display.

A few minutes later I was following them upstairs and out into the pounding beat of the dance floor, where we lost ourselves in the beat, the rythm and the heat of the crowd, none more so than our group, as we danced close, enjoying each other and our friend's company. We'd take breaks away from the floor to cool down and rehydrate at Maura's insistence, fortunately we had a VIP enclosure to ourselves, something I wasn't used to but really appreciated.

As we danced I realised that we were being watched, in curiosity, in appraisal but mostly in appreciation and more than a little envy. I could see the looks, it was obvious that the others were the centre of attention, but we were attracting our own attention, both good and bad.

I was on my way back from the ladies after freshening up when I was intercepted by a woman in her mid to late thirties, a bottle blonde, she was with another woman, all curly brunette hair, both wearing so little they made my dress look like a nun's habit.

"You interested in a dance gorgeous? I'd love to dance with you" I smiled; the attention was kinda nice even if I wasn't interested. Still it didn't hurt to be polite.

"Thank you, but no, I'm happy here with my girlfriend"

"Oh come on I can show you a much better time than she can" I frowned at the inference.

"I very much doubt that" The blonde wasn't taking no for an answer.

"You deserve someone better than her, besides she's kinda nice but way too old for you" I tried not to let a scowl out but the other, brunette woman must have caught my expression, she was looking a little concerned.

"I don't think this is a good idea Cissy, you know who they're here with"

"So? I'm just offering her a good time Tammy, much better than the one she was looking at" I frowned.

"Perhaps you should listen to your friend" The woman, Cissy was it, screwed up her face.

"Huh?" I turned to look at the brunette, trying to hold in a scowl, though I could hear the hardness appearing in my voice.

"Tell her what you meant" Tammy looked around nervously.

"Her friends, they're all cops, plus the club loves them, they'll toss us out if they think we're causing them trouble"

"I'm not causing any trouble, just having some fun" I frowned.

"I beg to disagree, but there is one thing you need to know" They both looked a little confused.

"What's that?"

"All those women, the cops your friend was talking about?" They nodded. "I'm their boss" Tammy just gaped, while Cissy was openly skeptical.

"No fucking way, you?"

"Yep, so you can toddle off and bother someone else, while I try and forget the fact that you just insulted my girlfriend, who is also a cop, or you can hang around and deal with the consequences. Your choice" Cissy ran her eyes up and down me.

"I call bullshit on that, you're no cop" I shrugged.

"Have it your way" I flipped open my clutch and pulled out my badge, the others had insisted I should bring it with me, I could see why now. Flashing it at them, I smiled. "Now I've established my bona fides, are you going to take a hike or do I have to escalate the matter?" Cissy was definitely stupid, still protesting.

"I ain't done anything wrong" My voice had started to take on some of the tone I used in interrogation, something that obviously Tammy picked up on, Cissy was too busy being pissed to notice.

"I don't know, a public nuisance charge might be a good place to start" I was interrupted by a warm voice in my ear and a hand at my back.

"Trouble honey?" I turned and gave Sharon a quick kiss.

"Not at all, this is Tammy and Cissy and they were just leaving" I gave them a filthy glare. "Weren't you?" Cissy was adamant.

"No" Tammy was less stupid.

"Yeah, we were just going" She started tugging on Cissy's arm, as the other woman fought her.

"I'm not going anywhere. I've done nothing wrong" Sharon smiled, a little coldly, a little of scary Commander Raydor appearing.

"I don't know, you're upsetting my girlfriend, which qualifies as something in my book. Now you have thirty seconds to make yourself scarce before I personally throw you out on the street" Sharon looked Cissy over speculatively. "I wonder how high you'll bounce when you hit the sidewalk" Cissy looked Sharon over in disbelief.

"You, don't make me laugh, bitch" Sharon looked at me and smiled sweetly.

"Can't say I didn't try" As I went to speak Cissy moved to push Sharon but she'd seen it coming. Turning, Sharon caught Cissy's left hand in her right and locked it between her fingers, pushing it back and up, the sudden shooting pain and Sharon's leverage sending Cissy to her knees, a startled yelp escaping her. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Ana then Jane shooting to their feet, obviously concerned, before I returned my attention to Sharon, who was talking to Cissy, not loudly, but her voice easily heard.

"Now then, we've established I can kick your ass out of here, do I have to prove it in front of everyone or are you going to leave us alone?" I was a little startled, I hadn't expected Sharon's move, but had to say something, especially as people were watching.

"Don't break anything sweetie, I'd hate to have to give a statement about how you had to defend yourself from an unprovoked attack" I got a slight turn of Sharon's head and a sly wink.

"Well if Cissy here agrees to make herself scarce, we can let everything drop" She turned back to look at her victim. "How about it?" At Cissy's desperate nod Sharon let her hand go. Turning she reached out a hand for mine. "C'mon honey, I want to dance" I smiled and took her hand, then looked at Cissy, who was climbing to her feet.

"Have a good night girls, somewhere else" Without a backwards glance we turned and walked back to our table, the crowd moving out of our way, some of them nodding in acknowledgement, stepping up into the VIP enclosure we got a raucous reception from the girls.

"Awesome!" It was Natalie, a huge grin on her face. "That was great" Ana was similarly enthusiastic.

"Nice Sharon, word'll soon get round, I don't think you'll be bothered again, well at least not tonight" Jane was looking at Sharon with a speculative look.

"That was a nice move Sharon, I didn't know you do martial arts" Sharon shrugged as she sat.

"I learnt some judo when I was a beat cop, its all about deflecting other people's energy" She shrugged. "I'm a little rusty, but fortunately that wasn't a challenge" Jane nodded, her eyes narrowed, before looking at Ana, getting a nod in return.

"If you're interested, we'd like to do a little light sparring with you, neither of us know any judo and it'd be good to learn" Maura's eyes widened in surprise.

"Jane..." Jane looked back at her.

"Really light sparring, I promise" Sharon was dismissive.

"I'm not that good and really out of practice and I most certainly am not good enough to spar with you two" She looked at Ana, then back at Jane. "I've heard the stories about you both in the gym, I'm happy to leave the hand to hand combat to you two" I smiled and slid my hand around Sharon's waist. I'd heard about these two as well, the grapevine was full of stories of young officers who'd foolishly challenged them, only to get thrashed mercilessly.

"Besides, I like Sharon as she is, without any bruises or broken bones, got it?" I got a pair of reluctant nods. "Now where were we?" Sharon smiled.

"I was about to head out on the dance floor with my girlfriend" I smiled at the invitation and took her extended hand, feeling eyes on us as I followed her out onto the floor to loose ourselves amongst the crowd.

The rest of the night passed in a bit of a blur of dancing, music and fun, when I wasn't dancing with Sharon we were swapping with the others, I danced with each of them, their movements close and sensual and I found my arousal was rising as they did, at one point I found myself sandwiched between Maura and Ana, their bodies deliberately rubbing and brushing against mine, to the point I finally left the floor a bundle of tightly stretched nerves, all taunt and singing with lust and arousal, to be pulled into Sharon's arms and kissed like there was no tomorrow, she'd obviously been watching. We were getting catcalls and whistles from onlookers, not that I cared, I was here with the woman I loved and for as long as I was in her arms nothing else mattered.

Aisling and Cletus both stopped by at different points during the night. I have to say Aisling's appreciative looks did wonders for my ego, she was impressive enough that I doubted she lacked for company, to have someone like that appreciating you in a distinctly sexual way was flattering, to see that same look turned on Sharon was even more so, given I knew Sharon had eyes only for me, the same as I had for her.

"I'm obviously fishing in the wrong stream" I looked over at her words, watching as Aisling sipped her scotch. "If I'd known that there were cops like you lot here in LA I'd have been spending more time in cop bars" I laughed at her regretful tone.

"I'm afraid there aren't too many cops like Jane and Ana here" I suddenly remembered Mikki Mendoza. "The only other one I know's already taken" She shook her head.

"Bloody hell, that's just my luck" Maura leaned forward.

"We do have some friends we must bring here one club night, a detective and an attorney from New York, I am sure you will like them" Natalie laughed at Aisling's sudden interest.

"Hell yeah, Alex is very femme and Liv's so butch she'll push all your buttons, both are gorgeous, just remember they're together and Liv carries a gun" Aisling scowled and then grinned.

"Bitches, get me all interested and then tell me I can't touch" Sharon smiled.

"Life's not fair is it" Ailing pushed out a fake, sad pout.

"No it bloody well is not!"


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N** This story is rated M for a reason, this chapter being one of them.

This chapter contains depictions of consenting adults doing what consenting adults do when they feel like it, so if sexual content isn't your thing, please skip the chapter and move on.

I was asked by a guest about the previous Club Night; for all the details check out Chapters 58, 59 and 60 of Intersecting Lines.

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**13 Party Hard Part 2**

Sharon's viewpoint

The limo deposited us back at Jane and Maura's just in time and a good thing too; none of us were in any fit state to be driving, as it was I'd had Brenda curled up in my lap for most of the trip as we kissed and cuddled. The others were in no better shape, next to us Maura had straddled Jane and was kissing her as Jane's hands cradled her butt while Natalie was occupying Ana's lap on the seat facing us as they kissed and whispered to each other.

Normally I'd be nowhere near this uninhibited in public, but the combination of the build-up, seeing Brenda dressed like that all night, how we'd danced together so close, the erotic atmosphere in the car on the way home and the knowledge that these were our friends had pushed any inhibitions aside, this was a night for fun.

We stumbled inside, not helped by the fact that Brenda had both arms around me and didn't want to let go, not that I wanted her to, the others had stopped there in the foyer and looked at us, smiling.

"Thanks for coming with us tonight" It was Ana. "It looks like you had as much fun as we did" I smiled and nodded and felt Brenda's head move on my shoulder as she nodded as well. Natalie gave us a wicked grin.

"Wasn't that worth agreeing to dress up?" I saw the smiles and had to grin back, I'd had one thought since I'd first seen Brenda dressed like that and she'd confessed to me that she'd been consumed by similar thoughts, once I got her alone I was going to let myself enjoy full access to the delights of my girlfriend's body. I knew Brenda had exactly the same intentions, so I doubted we were going to get much sleep tonight. As if she'd read my mind Jane grinned.

"We'll see you in the morning" Maura gave a cheeky grin before leaning up to whisper something in her ear, getting a chuckle in return before Jane looked at us again. "Late morning, very late" I was about to say something when I felt Brenda's fingertips teasing the back of my thigh, just above the stocking, before slowly rising higher, oh she was ready, willing and able all right.

Natalie, then Maura broke away and moved to wrap us in hugs and kisses, followed by Jane and Ana, I couldn't help noticing how aroused they were, you could see it in their eyes, feel it in their bodies, none of us were going to get much sleep, at least not for a while.

"Thanks for coming tonight…" It was Jane. "…we had fun" Brenda smirked.

"We did too, lots" Natalie smiled wickedly, reaching out and entwining her fingers with Anastasia's, tugging her gently down the hall towards their guest room, before looking back over her shoulder at us.

"And the night's just begun, let the games begin" I felt my mouth go a little dry, I knew what she was referring to, their little game on Club Nights, one we were playing tonight. Maura smiled.

"Well, have a good night tonight" She snuggled tight up against Jane, her arm around Jane's waist. "A very good night" Brenda snickered and snuggled into my neck, before looking up at them.

"Oh we will, won't we sweetie?" I looked down at her and nodded.

"Oh yes" Jane nodded and looked back at Maura, getting a very un-Maura like wicked grin in return, before they both looked back at us as Jane spoke.

"Then we'll leave you to it"

We turned and followed Natalie and Anastasia down the hall, their door was already shut, I'd no doubt they were already all over each other.

I paused in the doorway and then slowly pushed Brenda away, ushering her in first, before following her in and shutting the door behind me. I'd barely had a chance to turn when I was slammed back against the door, Brenda's hot mouth against mine, her tongue already demanding entrance.

I don't know how long we were there, our hands roaming all over each other, bodies crushed together, our tongues wrestling back and forth, before we finally came up for air, gasping.

"God Brenda, I want you" She smirked.

"I need you sweetie, so bad" She went to kiss me but I held her back, Brenda getting a surprised look on her face, a look which changed to something else as I spoke.

"It's not your mouth I want to kiss, well not right now" I saw her lick her lips, her eyes dark and needy as my words hit. I stepped away from her, taking one hand in mine and leading her towards the bed. I turned her so she was backed against the bed, the mattress against her calves, as I stepped close and kissed her, it was hot and desperate and full of passion and I had a hard time stopping. Only the realisation that I had other things I urgently needed to do to her convinced me to stop. As I pulled away I could see her face, needy and almost wild, god yes, she was ready, looking as desperate as I felt.

With a gentle push I tumbled Brenda back on the bed, seeing her bounce on the sinfully soft mattress as a giggle escaped her. I smirked as I dropped to the floor on my knees, leaning over the bed and pushing her legs apart as she levered herself up on her elbows to watch me. I could see the dark flash of her panties between her thighs, before pushing her thighs as far apart as her tight skirt would allow, which wasn't quite enough.

"Scoot up a bit honey" Brenda levered herself back a bit, before I reached up and pushed her skirt up a bit, then pulled her back towards me, getting a slight squeal of surprise as I exposed the top of her thighs and her panties to my eager attention.

"That's much better" Levering herself up again Brenda looked back at me.

"Not yet it isn't" I looked back at her in mock annoyance.

"Maybe I should let you go first then?" I got a happy smile; she obviously didn't take my threat seriously.

"Sure, scoot up here sweetie and let me take care of you" I couldn't say the offer wasn't tempting but I'd wanted to bury my head between those long legs since I'd first seen her dressed for tonight.

I'd intellectually known that The Intersection's 'Club Night' meant wild clothes and wild nights, I'd seen enough of the photo's from the girl's previous nights there to know that we'd be wearing something tight and sexy and scandalous, but I hadn't been prepared either for how Brenda looked or the effect seeing her like that had on me. I'd been mesmerised, that was the only word for it. I'd seen in her in everything from her uniform blues and work suits to her birthday suit and none of them had set me off like this. The stares she'd drawn out on the floor had made me burn with both jealousy and desire. That no matter who had asked and plenty had, she'd brushed them off and turned to me had made me feel very special and very, very lucky.

I'd had a beautiful woman in my arms and I'd wanted her so badly all night, no way was I going to pass up that opportunity now, even for something as amazing as Brenda Leigh's mouth on my body doing her best to get me off, something which was a treat anytime, but as turned on as we were would be amazing now.

"Pull your skirt up a bit more honey, let me get to you" With a bit of effort we worked it up to her hips, it really was tight, before I smiled. "That's better, now lift your butt"

As she did with a swift action I drew her panties down off her hips and to the bottom of her legs, before lifting first one leg then the other and sliding them off. I took a moment to bring them to my nose and inhale deeply; they smelled of aroused Brenda, one of my favorite scents. Glancing up I could see Brenda was watching me raptly; her eyes wide, for some reason my enjoyment of her scent both aroused and embarrassed her in equal measure, even after several months together.

I don't know what her idiot husbands had done to make her doubt herself, but the sight, taste and smell of an aroused Brenda turned me on like nothing else, igniting a fire deep within me without fail. How they had ever failed her and let her go I couldn't understand. Now wasn't the time for that though, I had a turned-on Brenda right in front of me and I was going to make a meal of her.

Leaning forward I pushed one leg far to the side, then lifted the other over my shoulder, her leg resting on my back as I leaned in, I could smell the arousal coming from her, enough to make my mouth salivate, I could see the moisture, easily visible in her closely trimmed curls; to know I'd done this to her made me smile.

"I've been looking forward to this all night Brenda Leigh, I've been dying to get you alone and ready" I saw the smile on her face widen at my words, her voice was low and needy.

"I'm not going anywhere Sharon, I'm all yours, do anything you want" With that I leant in and opened my mouth, letting my tongue work up her lips, gathering her arousal and carrying it back to my mouth greedily, I loved her taste and wanted all I could get. The low, hungry moan I drew from Brenda was just an added benefit.

Pausing for just a moment, I savored her unique combination of tastes before smiling, probably a little cruelly, I wanted her, all of her and I was going to take it. I pushed forward and drew my tongue right up through her folds, lapping her deep, gathering up her taste and carrying it to my mouth, seeing her back arch off the bed at my touch as a hiss of delicious need escaped her lips.

The ability to have her writhe on my tongue was something I loved, Brenda had told me no one had ever made love to her orally like I did, something my ego had soaked up, while I'd wondered how the hell that fool Fritz Howard had messed things up so badly, to have someone so responsive under your mouth was a treasure, it just confirmed my opinion that he was an idiot for leaving and losing her. I'd vowed to make sure she never ever got tired of my tongue on her, she was simply too delicious, in every sense of the word, to ever let go.

I was running my tongue up and down, sliding in and out, lapping her juices up and driving her mad under me, her moans and cries starting to fill the room as I stabbed my tongue deeply into her pussy, feeling moisture coating my cheeks as I forced my tongue in as deep as I could, seeing her head slam back against the bed as the sensations hit her, I could feel her hot, wet walls clenching on my wriggling tongue, desperate to not let me go, to keep me deep inside, teasing and tantalizing and tormenting her.

Finally, having temporarily drunk my fill of her, I pulled back, looking past the mounds of her breasts, with her lovely long nipples pushing hard against the tight latex, to see Brenda still writhing, one hand buried in her hair, the other with two fingers in her mouth as she desperately sucked on them, making me grin. I'd discovered Brenda had a massive oral fixation, her desire for chocolate was the public manifestation, but she loved sucking, tonguing and licking everything she could, with me being her favourite target, not that I'd ever complain.

Realising it was time to push her over the edge, I leaned down again and dragged my tongue slowly up through her gaping, swollen lips once again, before sucking one of her labia's lips into my mouth and lashing it with my tongue, feeling her convulse under me, the moan I drew from her was loud and anguished, she needed this so much.

Letting her lips slide from my mouth I moved a little higher, closing on the one area I'd deliberately avoided so far. Approaching it carefully, I circled my tongue round and round, teasing her but never quite touching her clit, despite the frantic begging I was dragging from her, her hips bucking as she writhed, trying to get my tongue where she so desperately craved.

Finally, having drawn her as taunt as a bowstring, I dragged the tip of my tongue slowly, roughly across her clit as she nearly levitated off the bed, filling the room with entreaties, pleas and curses. I smiled as I idly wondered if the others could hear her; probably, but wasn't that part of this wicked, nasty little game we were all playing? To let them know we could play just as hard as they could, that I could make her scream my name with love and need and release?

Realising Brenda was close, and wanting to give her the release she so desperately needed, I pushed forward, sucking her clit into my mouth and catching it gently between my teeth as I lashed it with the tip of my tongue, it was like I'd applied an electric shock to her, Brenda's thighs clamped onto my head, her heel pushing into my back as one hand buried itself in my hair, desperately holding me to her as the approaching thunder of her climax rumbled through her, carrying her higher and higher before, with a shuddering screech, she crested the wave, my name on her lips, before collapsing, trembling and twitching as the aftermath rumbled through her, the occasional aftershocks making her shake and shudder.

I let her slip from my mouth then gently pulled my head from between her now limp thighs, carefully lifting the leg over my shoulder off I lowered it to the floor, before moving round to lie beside her, scooping her up into my arms, feeling the little shivers still running through her. After all the night's build up, the release had left her wrecked, at least for the moment. After a minute or so lying there she came back to me.

"Oh god, that was amazing Sharon, so good..." We lay there quietly for a while, just cuddling, as our breathing slowly returned to normal, luxuriating in the closeness, the tenderness as I enjoyed holding her to me. We kissed for a while, slow and gentle, before Brenda lifted herself up on an elbow and pushed me flat on my back, staring down at me.

"Your choice sweetie, you want it soft or hard?" I swallowed, hearing the teasing and the smile in her words, either would be lovely, I really didn't care, I knew whatever she did would be fine by me.

"Dealer's choice sweetie, whatever you want to do" She went to speak when we heard a shuddering scream, dying off to a sobbing moan. I recognised Natalie's voice, Anastasia driving her over the same precipice Brenda had plummeted over so recently, Brenda's smile suddenly turned feral, her eyes darkening noticeably.

"I was kinda hoping you'd say that sweetie" She rolled off the bed and reached down, slowly peeling the latex dress up, over her breasts and her head and off her body, dropping it on the chair where it was soon joined by her bra as she stood there naked in her heels, unconsciously beautiful. She ran her hands through her hair, before shaking it out and letting the curls bounce down over her shoulders, looking soft and lovely.

Brenda however was too preoccupied to notice my appraisal as she walked over to the large bag she'd brought with her tonight. Dropping to one knee she rummaged through it before her hand emerged clutching one of our strap-on toys, the double ended one.

Unconsciously I licked my lips as she stood and faced me, the toy in one hand, watching as she stepped into one loop and pulled it up her leg, before grabbing the toy in one hand and gently sliding the other, short, thick end inside her, drawing a gentle, shuddering hiss as it slid in, the harness pushing up against her still tender clit. Finally, with it settled inside she went to finish strapping it on, when she looked up to see me watching.

"On your knee's Sharon, facing away" I rolled over onto my knees and forearms, looking back over my shoulder as she finished getting it settled comfortably and snugly around her hips, tightening the straps on both sides to ensure it wouldn't move no matter how vigorous her movements, how frenzied our efforts.

"Do you want me out of this dress Brenda?"

"Oh no sweetie, I've been watching you in that outfit all night, desperate to have you" I swallowed at her words, her tone, she was going to fuck me senseless, I could see it in her eyes, her warm brown eyes were almost black with arousal and her lips had curled into a hungry, almost predatory smile as she slowly walked towards me, a tigress stalking her prey. My eyes were drawn to the head of her 'cock', seeing it bob and bounce with each step as I licked my dry lips. Moving onto the bed behind me, Brenda leaned forward, resting her hands on my butt.

"I've been staring at your legs all night Sharon, imagining you just like this, on your knees, spread open for me, just waiting to get filled, waiting for me to be the one to get you off" I jerked as one hand slapped down on my ass cheek, more startling than stinging, the noise loud in the room. "Don't think I didn't see all those women staring at you, desperate to have you while you teased and flirted with them"

"But I wasn't...ah!" Her hand came down on my ass again, a little harder this time, stinging a little.

"Don't lie to me Sharon, I saw you, the only reason I didn't drag you out of there was the fact that they got to look, but only I get to touch" Before I could say anything I felt her gentle kiss on my abused cheek, her soft kiss and warm tongue soothing my skin. I felt her hands on the dress, pushing it up, bunching it at my hips and exposing my ass to her. I could feel the fall of her eyes on my skin, could imagine the smile on her face as I felt a finger trace across my panties, along my crease, her voice was sultry, lust soaked.

"My Sharon, you're all wet, these are positively drenched. I think you need taking care of" I arched my back with pleasure at another teasing touch, my voice breathy and eager.

"As long as it's you"

"Oh it's me all right, no one else gets to touch you, you're all mine" Brenda had a possessive streak at times, tonight was one of those times.

"All yours Brenda, I'm all yours"

"I know sweetie, I know. Now let's get these off you, they're soaked and quite frankly, they're in the way" Quickly she divested me of my now sodden panties, before getting me settled on my spread knees, my dress up around my hips, leaving me feeling open and exposed. Brenda's voice came to me, low, playful, rippling with heat and desire.

"I've been imaging you like this all night sweetie, spread wide, bent over just ready and waiting for me" I trembled, hearing the desire dripping in her voice, oh she was going to take care of me tonight, I could tell. "Why do you think I brought this with me? I've been looking forward to fucking you like this all night" Her words hit me hard, I clenched my hands into fists as my eyes closed, the waiting, the anticipation after all the build up was killing me.

"Now let's get you lined up properly" Brenda's hands lifted my hips a little as I brought my knees a fraction closer together, feeling the mattress shift as she moved into position behind me. "Perfect Sharon, just perfect" I could hear the lust-soaked anticipation in her voice. "Now hold still sweetie" I took my lower lip between my teeth as I waited, my body humming in eager anticipation, before I arched as I felt the first touch of the toy's tip as it came into contact with my superheated core.

The head of the dildo felt huge as she slowly rubbed it up and down, teasing my lips with its fullness as she coated the head in my arousal. It felt massive, while I knew I could take it as I had many times before, I was so turned on and sensitive it felt like it was big enough to split me open. Up and down it moved, Brenda rubbing it in between my labia lips, pulling away as I tried to slide back, desperate to get it inside me, to stop the tantalising, teasing torture, making a keening sound of frustration as she denied me what I so badly needed.

"Uh ah sweetie, wait your turn" I could hear the amusement in her voice as I pleaded; only Brenda could make me like this, desperate and whiney and needy and craving her touch.

"Please Brenda, oh god please, give it to me, please" I felt Brenda's hair on my neck as she bent over, her breath warm in my ear, her voice low and amused.

"I'll give it to you Sharon but are you really sure you want this? I might be a little bit…rough" I frantically nodded; tonight's events had teased me to the point I was almost desperate, I needed her inside me now.

"God yes, please…" Her voice hadn't lost the amused tone.

"Please what Sharon?"

"Oh god honey please, just fuck me, I need you inside me" I felt her lay a kiss to my neck as I turned my head to her, but she was already pulling away.

"Ok sweetie, never let it be said I don't give you what you want" I was about to say something, when I felt the tip of her cock sliding up into my centre, the head nestling forward into me, just a fraction, but enough to make me hiss in anticipation as my head dropped and my back arched. "Ready?"

I nodded frantically, so desperately longing that I could barely speak, everything had settled down to that feeling, that pressure at the entrance to my pussy, how good it was going to feel, I needed it as much as I'd needed anything. Without warning, Brenda thrust hard, the cock sinking deep inside me, my eyes slammed shut and my head was thrown back as a gurgling scream was forced from me, driven from my throat by the entry of the toy.

I could feel it slam home, the delicious pain as I was forced apart, feeling filled, impaled upon Brenda's fake phallus. Brenda paused, I could feel her hips wriggle just a bit, making the toy move deep inside me, drawing a moan from me as she did. Brenda must have heard it as she paused, giving me time to get adjusted to the girth deep within me.

"Oh god sweetie, I love seeing you spreading around me, to see it slide inside you, to make you feel so good" I nodded through gritted teeth, feeling the movement at my centre sending sparks through me, my voice a wanting moan.

"Its good, god it's good honey"

"Then let me make you feel even better Sharon" Brenda's voice was positively dripping with lust, her southern accent even more pronounced. Her next words were softer as she leaned forward to breathe into my ear. "Let me make love to you, let me give you what you want" The soft southern lilt in my ear was maddeningly close; I could feel her breasts pressing into my shoulder blades as she leaned forward. "Let me fuck you" I couldn't help it, that voice and the images they were conjuring were enough to drive me even further into that place where all I wanted was the sensations, the feeling of being taken, by her. I moaned, low and needy.

Brenda's response was to gently pull her hips back, drawing the toy out of me slowly, carefully, making me feel every ridge and contour of it as it slid out. Finally she paused, the tip only barely there, I could feel just the head inside me. I jerked as she thrust again, hard, the base of the dildo slamming into my tender lips, the harness grinding into me as I gasped in shocked pleasure and pain.

Feelling it slowly pulling out again, I caught my lower lip between my teeth again as I tried not to moan at the sensations coursing through me. '_So good…oh so good_''

The head of the dildo stopped, just as it reached the entrance to my pussy, I could feel my lips flaring around the head, as I felt Brenda's hands shift slightly, finding better purchase on my sweat-slicked skin, getting a firm hold.

"Who do you belong to Sharon, who?" I groaned at her teasing tone.

"You, only you, always you" Her laugh was quick.

"Right answer, lucky for you" Before I could say anything, she thrust forward, I could feel the head pushing me apart, thrusting inside me, sending bolts and spasms of heat rushing through my body. I dimly heard a shuddering moan echo through the room, mine, as she pushed even deeper than before, then drew out again, our hips falling into an ever faster rhythm as she pounded the toy into me over and over again.

Life had shrunk down to this point, the heaving of my breathing as I was jerked back onto Brenda's cock, her panting from behind me, the moans forced from me as she bottomed out, the slap of skin on skin as I felt the beginnings of a massive climax coming, I'd not been fucked like this in a while, primal and desperate and raw and hard, I was going to be a mass of bruises tomorrow, especially where Brenda's fingers were clenched around my hips, but I didn't care, not for something like this, something so good.

As my head jerked to the rhythm of her thrusts I could hear the groans forced out of my throat, combined with Brenda's grunts and groans as she drove forward, over and over, I knew the effort she was putting in, it was hard work being the one driving, but all I could think of was how good she was, pushing me towards the cliff.

"God Sharon…are you close…?" I nodded, unable to speak. "Then touch yourself…play with it…make yourself come" I let my head fall to the mattress, not sure I could hold myself on one arm, not with the way she was hammering into me. With a hand free I reached back, reaching for the one spot that would combine with what she was doing to send me headfirst over that cliff. At the first touch of my fingertips a shudder ran through me, I was so close.

Seeing it, somehow Brenda sped up, the room resounding to the quick, rhythmic, moist slap of sweaty skin on skin as I circled my fingers over my clit, quicker and quicker, feeling the edge approach, filling the room with my cries, begging Brenda to make me come, the stimulation on my clit combined with the ferocious pounding Brenda was giving me sending bolts of lightning through me, before I screamed as the climax hit, screamed my throat raw.

As it engulfed me, washed through me and carried me away I dimly heard Brenda's answering cry, half scream, half moan as she dragged me desperately back onto her, impaling me as I felt her shudder and buck behind me, she must have been close and hearing me go had sent her over the edge.

Sometime later I came back to myself from wherever I'd been, to find myself sprawled on the bed, Brenda lying on top of me, still inside me. Over the sound of my desperate panting I could hear her harsh gasping, feeling the movement of her body on me as she desperately dragged air in and out of her lungs. Finally we recovered enough to speak.

"Sorry sweetie" Her voice was low and pained, pushed out between pants. "I'm heavy, let me move" I wanted to shake my head, I was too wrecked though. With effort I moved my head and groaned out the words.

"Don't. Want you…in me" I felt her lips on my shoulder through the latex of the dress, kissing me gently. I don't know how long we lay there, feeling each other shudder as we rode the aftershocks, before Brenda oh so slowly slid down my body, the dildo equally slowly pulling out, as I felt every ridge and bump as they passed my abused lips, making me tremble and groan softly, partly in pleasure, partly pain. Finally, with a last shudder as the bulbous head pulled out, it was gone and I felt myself collapsing, too shattered to do much more than lie here.

I realised I'd be sore for days after this, that tiny, delicious soreness, the sort that came when you sat too quickly and felt it, deep within you. Each time I'd remember this, what we'd done and I'd have to stop myself smiling in front of others, keep that pleasurable memory deep within, just for me to enjoy. I heard Brenda let the dildo fall to the floor before she joined me back on the bed, spooning me into her. Summoning all my remaining energy, I rolled over within her arms, seeing the tired but happy smile on her face.

"Hi sweetie" I smiled, even her accent was more pronounced, something that happened when she was happy, or tired or, like now, both.

"God Brenda, that was lovely" She chuckled, low and soft. She opened her mouth to say something, when we heard Maura's voice suddenly loud, begging Jane to fuck her, growing in volume, before her voice rose to a crescendo as she came with Jane's name on her lips. Brenda and I exchanged a look, before we dissolved into giggles. Finally she subsided enough to speak.

"You think they heard us?"

"Honey, I'm sure of it" I bit my lip, seeing her colour slightly. "Y'know, I wasn't sure about this, I was kinda wondering if I was ready for this, tonight" Brenda pulled her head back to regard me.

"Whatever do'ya mean sweetie?" I ducked my head down, a little embarrassed.

"Us here, dressing like them, then coming back here, knowing they could hear us, that we could hear them" She looked at me for a second, then nodded.

"I know what you mean; I thought I'd look like a fool, dressed like that, well at first" I smiled reassuringly.

"I thought you looked amazing" She nodded slowly.

"When you looked at me, when you first saw me, I knew it was ok, that if they thought I looked ok, and then you looked at me and I could see you thought I looked good, then it'd be ok" I smiled at her, remembering the effect that first seeing her dressed like that had on me.

"Oh Brenda, you looked better than ok, you looked fantastic" She smiled happily.

"So did you. The moment I saw you I just wanted you then and there. Those stockings, plus the heels and the short skirt made you look all leg, tall and slim and sexy and all" I nodded.

"I was a bit reluctant too, but Jane made a deal with me" She frowned.

"What sort of deal?" I smiled.

"Jane said if you didn't take one look at me and look like you wanted to jump me then and there, I didn't have to wear it" She laughed, relaxed and happy.

"Oh that's Jane all right, she doesn't bet against sure things' I smiled at her words. "I took one look at you standing there Sharon and all I could think of was how much I had to have you"

"Same here honey, I had to have you, you look great anytime, but in that dress… I can't resist you at the best of times, dressed in that…" I smiled to myself; knowing I had to see her dressed in that again. She smiled and leaned in close.

"That makes two of us sweetie, you looked wonderful" She leaned in and we kissed again, soft and slow, just feeling each other. As we did I heard another shuddering moan, I couldn't be sure if it was Jane or Ana. We broke the kiss as I chuckled and Brenda sniggered, before she buried her head in my neck. I pulled her close and we snuggled for a bit, before she pulled back to look at me.

"Y'know sweetie, I wasn't sure if we could do this either, the whole Intersection thing, the clothes and all, 'specially the coming back to their place, knowing we'd be hearing them and they'd be hearing us" I nodded, I knew back when I'd first agreed to it, back when Brenda and I were first starting out, that this might be a big step, a step too far out of her comfort zone. "But now, now we're here, I'm glad we did" I smiled widely, seeing her smile break out too.

"So you don't mind that we're in a competition to see who can make their partner scream loudest?" She caught her lower lip between her teeth as she shyly shook her head. I smiled even wider. "We seem to have got off to a good start" She nodded.

"We did. Normally I'd be feeling pretty wasted, but knowing they're still going, well…" I raised an eyebrow.

"It is rather…inspirational" She smiled a little wickedly.

"I'm feeling pretty inspired actually" I laughed at her tone and pulled her in to me, wrapping her in my arms as I rolled onto my back, pulling her up to lie on top of me.

"So what would you like to do now?" At my words she slowly licked her lips, her eyes darkening.

"Why sugah…" Brenda's southern lilt had turned decidedly wicked and full of teasing. "How about I leave that all up to you?" I smiled; I had Brenda and her permission to do anything I wanted, life was good. I was about to kiss her when a thought struck me.

"Just what else did you pack in that bag, exactly?" She blushed.

"I thought a few toys might help us, y'know, reach new heights" I looked at her through narrowed eyes as she slightly wriggled her hips, sliding down slightly and working her way between my thighs.

Brenda had turned out to be everything I could have ever asked for in a lover and a partner. Warm and loving, eager, exceptional even, I was blessed to have her and to be hers.

Finally I spoke, hearing my voice's throaty timbre even as my body started to warm up under hers.

"Oh honey, I don't think we're getting much sleep tonight" A devilish smirk appeared on her face as she writhed between my legs, forcing them a little wider as I felt warmth spread through me, centred at my core. Finally she spoke, her voice low and full of need.

"Sleep is for the weak"


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N **Unfortunately I am required to travel for the next two weeks to places with intermittent net access, so I will update when I return. On the other hand it gives me time to write more chapters.

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**14 The Morning After**

Natalie's viewpoint

I ached, all over. I don't think there was any part of me that didn't hurt; from my feet, after a long night of dancing in heels, to my head, paying for hours of dance beats and a little too much wine.

Mind you, there was another reason I was so sore, she was sound asleep next to me, no doubt recovering from a job well done; very well done in fact. At some point last night, or more correctly, late this morning, Ana had produced our set of fur-lined leather shackles and taking advantage of the fact I was helpless in a post-orgasmic stupor, had looped them through the bed head then cuffed me, leaving me powerless to resist her, not that she needed cuffs for that.

She'd then proceeded to tease and torment me for almost two hours of the most deliriously delicious sweet torture; that was the reason for my sore throat, I'd begged and pleaded and screamed and sobbed for release as she kept me on the precipice with her fingers and tongue for what felt like an eternity, as she'd grinned wickedly at me, before finally letting me cum in a earth-shattering climax which had left me shaken, satiated and completely, utterly wrecked, the last thing I remembered as I'd fallen unconscious was Ana's proud satisfied smile.

I smiled long and slow and a little smugly, we'd surely won last night's little contest; at least I thought so and that was all that counted.

Dragged from this ridiculously comfortable bed with it's even more amazingly soft sheets by my body's needs I pulled on a tee and a pair of indulgently soft silk boxers with hearts all over them, a gift from Ana, before slipping out of the bedroom, I'd rather not use the en-suite if I could help it, I didn't want to wake Ana, she obviously desperately needed her sleep, I on the other hand desperately needed to pee and then just as desperately needed a coffee.

After using the toilet next to the laundry, I walked into the kitchen to find Maura standing at her coffee machine, wrapped in a silk dressing gown and looking a whole lot less the impeccable runway-ready clothes horse than she normally did, hair somewhat disheveled, not helped by the hickey easily visible on her neck.

"Hi Maura" She looked up and smiled, a little tiredly, well a lot to be honest.

"Good morning Natalie, I am actually surprised to see you this morning" I frowned.

"Oh? Why, how come?" She smiled, a little Mona Lisa-ish.

"Given you apparently sold yourself into slavery to Anastasia last night" I blinked at her, still trying to get the motor neurons going, it was a losing battle without caffein.

"I did what?"

"You told Anastasia that you would do anything she asked, absolutely anything at all, no matter how nasty or evil or depraved or wrong, as long as she let you orgasm" Maura grinned, a little evilly herself. "Given the scream that followed shortly thereafter it sounded as if you had yourself a deal" I groaned and buried my head on my arms on the bench top. Finally I spoke without looking up.

"Fine, whatever, horrible bitch" I could hear the humor in Maura's voice.

"Whom, Anastasia?" I looked up long enough to poke my tongue out at her.

"Yeah, her too, where's my coffee. I need coffee to handle you this early" Maura smiled as she turned to the coffee pot.

"Funny, Jane says much the same thing; I might also remind you it is almost eleven o'clock" I groaned, whatever...

"Still too damned early" I heard a cup and saucer being slid across the granite bench top and looked up, smiling at the aroma of a fresh coffee. "I take it all back, I love you, just keep me in coffee and I'm yours forever."

"That's not what you said last night as I recall" I looked up to see Sharon leaning in the doorway, wrapped in an indulgently fluffy white dressing gown and bare feet smiling broadly at me, '_Oh no_' I groaned, it was far too early for both of them at once. I picked up the cup and savored the blissful taste, before turning to fully face Sharon.

"I've had coffee, so I can handle you now" She chuckled softly.

"You sure you're name's not Brenda, awful lot of similarities there..." I shook my head.

"Go to hell Sharon" I looked up at her, seeing her widening smile. "Though I think Brenda took you someplace else last night, based on what I heard early on, you seemed very grateful wherever it was she took you" She blushed slightly as Maura snickered.

"I do recall something along those lines last night Sharon, you were very polite" I smirked at the memory.

"Yes all those 'pleases' last night, I don't think I've ever heard you so...polite" She coloured slightly but pressed on regardless.

"Maura, could I trouble you to use those magic fingers of yours to make me a coffee" I didn't miss Maura's sudden blush. It looked like Sharon had heard something that I'd missed. She turned away and busied herself at the benchtop.

"Magic fingers eh?" Maura acted like she hadn't heard me, leaving me to cock an eyebrow in question at Sharon as she took the stool next to me. Sharon looked very tired and very, very well ridden, but smiled in response.

"According to Jane, who should know, Maura apparently has magic fingers, she was certainly using them to cast a spell over Jane" She chuckled. "Jane really has quite the foul mouth when she gets going" I smiled, remembering some of the things Maura had cried out last night and at other nights.

"Not just Jane actually, our barista here can get down and dirty with the best of them when the…mood takes her" Sharon nodded, casting a glance over at Maura from the corner of her eye.

"So I was led to believe last night, I had a hard time believing my ears, that our prim and proper Medical Examiner had it in her" I pulled out my best shit-eating grin for Maura's benefit.

"Not so much what, but who, was actually in…" Maura slid the cup over, cutting me off.

"Your coffee Sharon" Sharon and I exchanged a quick glance before she smiled, slow and wide and comfortable and contented. That pretty much summed us all up, contented.

"Thank you Maura" We sat there, talking desultorily as the coffee slowly rejuvenated us, before there was the sound of movement echoing down the hall, Jane appearing in the doorway, shuffling like a zombie towards the bench top, hand out towards the coffee machine, her voice slow and growly.

"Coffee" We looked round at each other and laughed, before Maura took pity on her and started another cup. We tried to engage Jane in conversation but it was obvious that her brain was still recovering from whatever Maura had done to her last night, she was definitely '_Non__compos mentis_', at least until she got a coffee into her. I could see a few partly visible bite and scratch marks, mind you we were all carrying those, even Sharon, I could see the edge of a hickey on her left breast, peeking round the edge of her dressing gown. For all she's supposed to be the LAPDs 'ice queen', she was a remarkably passionate woman, they both were as my ears could attest. Brenda and Sharon had easily kept pace with us through the night; I had a hard time repressing a smirk as I remembered Brenda begging Sharon to ride her before screaming Sharon's name as she'd come.

With the first cup in her Jane started to recover, looking more awake and alert and I was about to say something when I heard Ana's voice from the door, turning to take her in, complete with a few bite marks I took great pride in leaving. Mind you, the pain in my right ass cheek was from where she'd sunk her teeth in last night, every time I'd sit down for the next few days I'd be a little sore but definitely not sorry from that little memento. Ana stood in the doorway, peering owlishly around the room before settling on me, unconsciously drawing a smile, before her hand came up, making a drinking motion.

"Need coffee" I exchanged glances with Maura and Sharon, before we fell into howls of laughter.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N **Hi guys, sorry for the unanticipated delay but I'm back, and as a bonus I did get to write a few additional chapters while stuck down there. After three weeks in Antarctica I agree with at least part of Dante's story, the lowest circle of hell is a frozen wasteland.

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**15 The Picnic**

Jane's viewpoint

There are days when I hate the world, usually when we're called to a scene to be confronted with the results of the worst of humanity's dark side. Even after years of rolling out to see the horrible things people do to one another, I still find myself being surprised at the depths of human depravity.

I used to have too many of those bad days, it comes with the territory as a homicide cop. Good days, days that I really saw the best in the world were pretty few and far between, mostly revolving around family.

Then Maura arrived and things changed, just having her there and being friends changed the ratio, the good started to catch up to the bad. As we became closer, the bad days were outweighed by the good, days where we'd just hang out, or go running, or do yoga, watch a game, have dinner and chat, hell even shopping wasn't too bad, not that I'd ever tell her that, I have a rep to maintain after all.

Once we became lovers and I got to wake up next to her every day, to kiss and touch her whenever I wanted, to love and be loved, the scales started tilting decisively towards the good. Not that the bad wasn't still there, but it was a part of the job, not the whole world.

The move out to LA was what did it though, really allowed me to understand that I could actually separate the bad from the good. Compartmentalise the bad, understand that while what I saw was horrible, it was the job and I could turn that off at the end of the day and go home. That Maura and I could be happy and together and just enjoy life.

In a way it was a relief to be here. I was part of a bigger team, a good team. Back in Boston I'd been lead on most of the cases, usually catching the worst of the cases, just Frost, Korsak and me, which often meant everything came down to me as lead detective, the victims were relying on me to get them justice, to catch the killers and stop the deaths.

We'd built a great reputation for solving the difficult and the weird cases, for cracking the 'impossible' ones, enough so that we'd become the brass's 'go-to' team for bad cases, leaving the simple ones to idiots like Crowe. The recognition was nice I suppose but the expectations and the pressure got to me, especially on the worst, most difficult and horrible cases.

Now I was part of a larger team and we worked together, each supporting the other, catching the killers was a team effort and I had to admit it that I was relieved; carrying the burden when it's literally life or death gets old real quick and I'd done it for way too long. Now I could share that burden and I actually got to be able to mostly turn off that part of me when I wasn't at work and could enjoy life.

Today was a case in point. At Natalie's quiet insistence we'd taken ourselves off the callout roster for 24 hours simply to have some time to ourselves after a few busy, rough weeks. The day had started pretty well, Maura and I had slept in until around seven, then fooled round until about nine, before having a shower together, which had tuned into even more fooling round, followed by a late breakfast and a quiet, comfy Saturday morning on the couch.

We'd then met up with Nat and Ana for a quiet picnic in Griffith Park mid-afternoon. Natalie had suggested a hike up to one of the vantage points, so I'd got to enjoy watching Maura walk ahead of me for about 20 minutes, wearing a pair of linen shorts, a peach polo shirt, wide-brimmed sun hat and hiking boots, it wasn't her usual dress code, but I didn't care, she looked great anyway, like usual.

Nat was wearing cargo pants, a loose white linen blouse, hiking boots and a cap, while Ana had dressed for the unseasonably warm weather, wearing loose shorts, a faded army-issue camouflage tee, hiking boots and a FBI ball cap with her hair pulled into a ponytail through the back. I'd worn jeans, a polo, Red Sox ball cap and runners and was starting to feel the heat when our destination came into sight.

We dropped our backpacks under a large tree and just stood there for a couple of minutes, appreciating the view out over LA. I'd grown up on tales of Los Angeles smog but years of cracking down on polluters had put a stop to the worst of that. A slight breeze carrying away what was left of the haze gave us a great view out over the city, allowing us to soak up the sights. Finally, we'd headed back into the shade under the tree, set out picnic blankets and relaxed.

We'd just lay there for a while, not talking much, just enjoying the peace and quiet, there weren't too many other people around, a few couples and a family; mom, dad and two young kids so it was peaceful and calming.

"I could get used to this" I looked over to where Ana had spoken; she was lying on her belly, propped up on her elbows, toying with a blade of grass.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, peaceful, nice, away from the demands of the job, everyone's expectations, just friends" Maura nodded from where she was sitting next to me, looking out over the city.

"While I enjoy my job and generally like the company of the people I work with, I must admit that not having to meet the expectations of others is pleasant. Here I can just be myself, rather than the person others expect of me" Natalie nodded as well.

"Here the only people I have to worry about are the ones I care about. I don't have to think about what the media wants or what to say or how I'm dressed or what other people think. Here it's just us four and that's all that matters" I looked out over the cityscape below us, thinking about what I was going to say.

"I know what you mean. Back in Boston the expectations got to me a lot. Everyone expected the 'hero cop', Jane Rizzoli" I put air quotes around the hero cop bit. "I wasn't a hero, I'd just done my job, but that's the tag the Boston media hung on me and the BPD went along with it. The Chief told me they needed the good PR and it was good for the force"

I paused for a moment, looking back on some of the things that had happened to me, to us back there. I didn't really talk about this stuff all that much but well, if I couldn't talk about this with these three people, who could I talk to? I focussed out on an airliner coming in to land, watching it till it dropped out of sight as I spoke quietly.

"Everyone expected something I wasn't; that I'd be this larger than life figure, striding through cases, leaping tall buildings in a single bound; that kinda crap. I'm not a hero, I'm just a cop who's good at the job, but that's not what people wanted to see" I could see Ana nodding slowly, rolling onto one side where she could either look at us or out over the city equally easily, while Nat and Maura looked at me, saying nothing, letting me talk.

"I could deal with that, it wasn't my thing but I could handle it. It was when people looked at me and saw Jane Rizzoli, victim...that I couldn't deal with. I wasn't a victim, but this fucking thing with Hoyt seemed to loom over everything. It overshadowed everything I did" I sighed. "Here in LA, I'm just a cop, almost no one here knows who or what I was in Boston, it's a relief to be who I am, not what people expect" Natalie didn't move, her voice soft.

"Was it hard, dealing with it all?" I tilted my head to look at her, seeing her gentle concern.

"Kinda, some people just acknowledged that I'd survived, told me I'd been lucky but that he'd gone to jail and I'd survived. That I could handle, sorta. It was the people who kept telling me how awful it must have been, like I didn't know that" I shook my head slowly, remembering some of the looks. "The hardest part was the pity, I didn't want it and I don't need it" Nat looked across at me, her voice kind.

"Was there much of that?"

"Some, mostly from people outside the force, though there were some cops as well like that" I saw surprise reflected on Natalie's face as well as Ana's before Ana spoke again.

"I'm surprised about the cops; you'd think they'd understand" I shrugged gently, staring off into the distance.

"Some did, especially the older, more experienced ones, the younger ones not so much. Then there were the people who couldn't look at my hands, or who couldn't look away"

"Rude" Nat was frowning darkly. "Rude and callous and insensitive" I shrugged, though I appreciated her concern.

"The hardest part was the people who saw me and saw a victim, who saw I was something less than I was, that he'd taken something from me. It's why I asked for a change of partner. My old partner, Vince Korsak, he'd seen me like that, weak and useless" I shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, Vince is a great guy and I love him, you couldn't ask for a better partner, but I could see it in his eyes" I reached out and plucked a long blade of grass, winding it round my finger. "I didn't want to be the partner he couldn't rely on, he'd seen me a helpless whimpering mess and that wasn't what he needed to see every time he looked at his partner, he needed to see a cop he could rely on to have his back"

"How'd you get through it?" It was Ana speaking softly. I looked across at her.

"I didn't, not at first. I was on leave and kinda fell apart, drank too much, hid from the world in my apartment, away from anyone who might see me. Finally my leave was over and I had to go back to work, back to homicide" I looked down at my hands. "I had to testify at his trial, he made it clear to everyone that he had absolutely no remorse about anything he'd ever done" I shrugged. "He also made it clear that he and I had unfinished business" I sighed just a little, before looking round at Nat and Ana, they'd never had to deal with him, didn't know exactly what sort of monster he'd been. "Clearest example of pure evil I've ever been unfortunate enough to meet" I looked over at Maura who was sitting there with love and support in her eyes, she nodded once as I continued on, she understood. "Maura and I really hit it off after I came back, we'd met before, around the time I was finishing with vice and moving to homicide, but not really had much chance to become close" I could see Maura's little smile appear as she realised how much I was leaving out, especially that little incident with 'Tiffany' in the BPD cafe. I smiled back at her before continuing my story.

"Anyway Maura walked in to the Homicide bullpen one day and saw me obviously having trouble with my hands. Before I knew it she'd taken one of them into hers and was massaging it to help with the pain, all the while telling me about the things I could do to get full movement back" I smiled even wider. "Everyone else just looked at them or looked away, Maura just accepted they were there and dealt with them" I could see her smile widen at the memory. "It's strange really, I'm usually careful about not letting anyone touch them, but Maura just reached out and grabbed them, it never occurred to me to not let her" I looked down at my hands, seeing the scars there, I'd carry them as a nasty reminder till the day I died; '_thanks Hoyt, you twisted fucker_'.

"It's funny; I haven't let too many people touch my hands since I was discharged. The rehab woman, Maura, Ana here, my ma once, that's about it" Natalie leaned over, looking at them curiously.

"Do they hurt still?" I shrugged.

"They don't like the cold, Boston's winters were murder so I wore gloves as much as I could" She nodded.

"What eases them?" I looked up to see the honest curiosity in her eyes.

"Warmth mostly, moving to LA's good for that, snow's something that happens to other places, not here, which I'm not too unhappy about. That's why I'm not looking forward to this Boston trip all that much. Apart from that there's some creams that relax the muscles, Deep Heat, that sort of thing, usually when things get painful Maura massages them and the pain mostly goes away" Nat nodded again slowly.

"If there's anything you need, let us know" She looked across at Maura. "We'll keep some on hand at our place just in case" I saw a meaningful glance pass between her and Maura, they'd just come to some sort of agreement, exactly what I didn't know though I could guess. Natalie looked back at me and smiled a little anxiously.

"Talking about this, it's not too much is it? If it is I'm sorry" I shrugged.

"Not really, I mean you're our friends, I'm pretty sure I can talk to you about anything. Besides, this is kinda a big part of who I am, it might help a bit if you understand"

"You don't mind?" It was Ana. "I mean we do have some questions but only if you don't mind" I smiled at the concern and care they were showing, but I trusted them.

"Go ahead" Natalie nodded gratefully and rolled up to a sitting position, hugging her knees to her chest.

"I get that Hoyt was a monster, everything I've ever read supports that, but why you specifically? Was it because you'd beaten him or that he'd gone after you and failed, that you were a beautiful woman?" Nat fixed me with her gaze. "I understand that other police were after him as well, for some of the murders he'd done before he washed up in Boston, why you and not them?" Ana nodded in support and spoke.

"From what I understand Maura was a big part of him going back to prison after he escaped and adding a few extra life sentences onto his term, so why didn't he go after her?" I nodded slowly, they were good questions.

"I guess it was me because he captured me but I got rescued before he could kill me" I felt my mouth twist. "He felt we had unfinished business, that's why he came for me when he escaped, or sent his apprentices after me" I looked round at Maura, seeing her worried look at the topic, nodding in acknowledgement of her concern as I spoke. "He only fixed on Maura when he realised she was a way to come after me"

"He saw you as a couple?" I thought about Ana's question for a moment then shook my head slowly.

"I didn't think so, that was back before we got together" I thought about it again for a bit more. "I suppose he could have, lots of people told us after it came out that we were together that they thought we'd been together before but not told anyone.

"I suspect that he either projected something there or perhaps, rather more likely, he had observed our close friendship and interpreted it that way" It was Maura, who had sat there quietly so far. "Neither Jane nor I were aware that our feelings were reciprocated" I looked across at her, seeing the concern in her eyes as she carefully reached out and took my hand in hers, establishing a connection. The others both saw it as well.

"I'm sorry if this is dredging up bad memories" It was Nat. She reached out and took my other hand, letting me know she understood.

I glanced down at her hand, holding mine; quietly marveling at the fact I had friends who cared that much for me. I'd had few really good friends most of my life, it'd been my family mostly and then my partners at work like Frost and Korsak. Now I had friends, really good ones, Nat and Ana, Alex and Liv, Brenda and Sharon too, people who'd be there for me no matter what. For someone who'd been tagged as a loner most of their life, someone who didn't fit in with the other kids, not fitting into the pegs that society and school and my Ma expected of me.

A female cop sure as hell wasn't what was expected, especially for a girl from an Italian family, I was supposed to be all girly, find a nice Italian boy, get married at a big Italian family wedding and settle down and start churning out the grandkids, being a cop wasn't part of that vision, let alone Homicide. My Ma was still coming to terms with that while most of the rest of the extended Rizzoli clan was horrified at how I'd turned out.

I mentally shrugged. I was engaged to a beautiful, loving woman, a gentle genius who somehow saw something in me despite everything, I had friends I could trust with my life, partners who'd have my back and I had the respect of the people I worked with, from where I was sitting life was pretty damned good, so the rest of the family could go to hell if that was their opinion. I looked up at the others, while I'd been woolgathering I could see the concern had built in their eyes, together with the guilt in Nat and Ana's, afraid they'd taken me some place bad. I shrugged.

"It's a part of me, well a part of my past. I can't ignore it, I just have to put it into context" They both nodded as I went on. "Talking about it kinda helps, I really didn't have anyone at the time I could talk to" I shrugged. "The shrink the Department sent me to didn't really understand where I was coming from" I shook my head slowly at the memory. "He kept telling me that I should let the anger out, that I was bottling it up inside" I sighed. "I wasn't angry, I had a lot of emotions inside, but anger wasn't one of the big ones"

"What were they?" It was Nat, her voice very quiet. I shrugged.

"Fear, we'll terror actually. I was spooked by sudden noise or movement for months. There was regret and anxiety and a bundle of other things, loneliness too, I didn't think anyone else would understand so I bottled it all up inside" I looked over at Maura. "It wasn't really until he came after me again that I realised I had someone to talk to"

"Maura" It was Ana, it wasn't a question. I nodded.

"Yeah, when it happened I went to her, she was my friend, she was safe, I knew that she'd be someone who'd help without looking down on me or thinking I was weak"

"Never" Maura smiled at me as she squeezed my hand. "Never, ever weak" I nodded gratefully.

"When he sent his apprentices after me, she was there to help me pick up the pieces afterwards, I didn't need a shrink, I had Maura" I paused for a moment, realising that even then I'd needed her more than anything, wondering if that was what Hoyt had seen somehow. "Anyway, when he went after us both, that was the chance, to end it forever, so I did" I glanced back at Maura, seeing her quiet support there, that was so her, she was everything I'd ever needed, ever wanted.

"After that mess, we grew closer; we were our very own mutual support group I suppose. She was there for me and I was there for her. It made me realise that I really loved Maura more than anything" I frowned. "If she hadn't been there and I'd beaten Hoyt I'd probably have left him to die of cancer in a cell, but coming after her, that was the last straw" I looked up, seeing them watching me with compassion and understanding. "I had to end it there and then, to make sure he never ever came after us again" I'd never told anyone that, that I'd killed him when I didn't have to, but it felt good to unburden myself to them, knowing they'd never judge me. I could see in Maura's eyes that this wasn't a revelation, but she knew me better than anyone and she'd been there.

"I can't blame you" It was Ana. "In the same place I'd have killed him without a second thought" She shrugged. "That's the soldier in me talking, remove the threat once and for all, that's what they teach us" She looked up at me with a strange look in her eyes. "To be honest, I'm not as strong as you, I'd have probably have killed him when he came after you, the first time he escaped. You let him live, despite everything" She shook her head slowly. "That's a lot better than me Jane, I couldn't have done that" I shook my head.

"I couldn't have done it Ana, killed him I mean. I didn't have it in me to pull the trigger, to end him. I thought it made me better than him, to have his life in my hands and spare him" I grimaced. "It just gave him the chance to train more apprentices and then come after me, us, again" I shook my head once. "That wasn't strength, it was stupidity"

"I totally disagree" It was Natalie, her voice firm and sure. "I hate violence, but in your place, I'd be like Ana, if someone threatened Ana's life like he had with Maura and I had a gun, I'd have shot him without a second thought and to hell with the consequences" She smiled a little lopsidedly. "Hell, like Ana, I'd have probably have shot him first time round. The fact that you were better than that is a statement of how strong you are, how strong you are, stronger than we are" I was starting to get uncomfortable, I didn't feel strong, not really, he'd beaten me once, and almost beaten me twice more, that wasn't strength.

"Well, maybe" I looked round, looking to distract everyone. "Anyway, who's hungry?" Maura squeezed my hand, obviously understanding what was affecting me. Ana nodded slowly, obviously she saw the distraction for what it was, but that didn't surprise me, sure she had her own demons from her past to deal with. Natalie's voice was cheerful and open.

"Good idea, I'm hungry too. Besides it's too nice a day to waste talking about something so morbid" Looking at her I saw Nat looking at me, her smile warm like the sun. "He's dead, we're alive and that's the important thing" her smile widened. "Well that and lunch" I nodded at her, realising that she'd picked up on it too. I was really lucky, to have friends like this.

"Lunch is always important" With that Maura and Ana stood and walked over to the picnic baskets, leaving me with Natalie.

"Are you ok Jane" Her voice was low and suffused with care. I nodded, keeping my voice low.

"Yeah, he's dead and I'm alive, here with friends" I smiled. "Life's pretty good" She leaned over and rested her hand on my arm.

"We're here for you Jane, if you ever need us. Between Maura and your friends, you're never alone" I nodded at her words, she was right.

"I know, and I appreciate it Nat" She smiled a little wider at my words, then stood, reaching out her hand to help me up.

"C'mon, let's eat" I let her pull me to my feet and she wandered over to where the others were as I stood there watching for a moment.

'_I'm alive and you're dead you fucker, I might carry your scars for the rest of my life, but I won't have to do it alone_' I heard their good natured teasing and smiled. '_Never alone_'. It felt good.

Nodding to myself I banished Hoyt's memory to the dark recesses of my mind and wandered over to join the others, just happy to be here, filled with love and warmth.


	16. Chapter 16

As always, the characters here are the creation of their respective rights holders, and the wonderful actors and actresses who bring them to life for us. To them we owe a vast debt of gratitude for the pleasure they bring us. No infringement of their rights is intended, but thank you for letting us play with them, just for a little while.

**Intersecting Lines Book 2 **

**16 The investigation Stalls**

Jane's viewpoint

A few years back I'd seen a YouTube video for Fedex that Frost had shown me one night while sitting in the cruiser on stakeout, liking their network to a hive of bees, it had shown an animated map of the states with a clock running to show how overnight their big planes had swarmed from all across the country to a couple of big sorting centers, then fanned out again, carrying parcels out to cities across America. When they landed you could see smaller dots representing smaller planes scattering out to regional cities and big towns, where their network of trucks had sprung into action. The video had then zoomed in on Houston, showing a similar pattern as their trucks began delivering parcels around the wide expanse of the city and carried more back to their base for flights to other cities and back into the cycle, day after day.

In a way it had been a little hypnotic and I'd watched it three times on his tablet, ignoring Frost's teasing as I quietly marvelled at the amount of work involved to get a parcel from Boston to San Francisco or Chicago to Miami.

Now, standing in the operations centre of UPS's Los Angeles base looking up at the huge screen showing the location of each of their trucks across the LA and surrounding area, I was reminded of that video and of Frost. I missed him; he'd been a great partner and a damned good friend and I was looking forward to catching up with him and the rest of the people I cared about next week in Boston, one of the bright spots in an otherwise dismal trip. I was dragged back to the present by Mike Tao's question to our guide, UPS's deputy ground operations manager for their LA operations, a mid-fifties slightly heavy-set woman named Maria Ortado.

"So you can track any vehicle in your fleet?" She nodded once.

"Yes, we installed fleet-wide GPS locators after a spate of hijackings about four years ago. It turned out to be a gang of criminals hitting our trucks looking for valuable computer parts. They were selling the parts through a couple of stores they owned, turning a tidy profit" Mike nodded as he took notes on his tablet.

"They never found the locators?" Ortado shook her head.

"We worked with the LAPD, the locator people and the van manufacturers to find the best place to locate them, somewhere effective but also difficult to find, they ended up inside the sliding parcel door panel, which turned out to be a good place for it" I looked away from the big screens and across at her.

"I take it they worked?" Ortado smiled and nodded.

"Like a charm, they hijacked a couple more trucks before they grabbed one fitted with a locator, that led the police straight to them" I nodded, that was one if those success stories you rarely heard about where the cops and the public worked together to get a good result. "Based on that the company made the decision to roll them out across our nation-wide fleet, it really cut down on hijackings and also made it easier to monitor our driver and fleet productivity" Mike nodded, as usual fascinated by a tech solution, Buzz had called him our home grown version of Mythbusters Grant Imahara, our very own Asian techno-geek.

"Do the other companies use similar systems?"

"Yes, we all suffer similar problems so we shared the solution and Fedex, DHL and the rest all ended up adopting the same solution" Mike made a note, then looked up.

"But you've had a number of vans stolen recently and they've all dropped off your tracking grid?"

"Yes" Ortado waved at the bank of screens. "They disappear overnight from our driver's homes, we normally don't know they're missing until our driver discovers his truck's gone when he walks out to start work" She shrugged. "We notify you guys immediately of course, but what's one UPS van in a city full of them?" We both nodded, they were pretty ubiquitous, they could go just about anywhere and no one took any notice, which was kinda the point. Mike frowned.

"How hard is it to break into one of your vans and deactivate the locator?"

"Not all that hard really, it's a van, so it's not as secure as a decent high end luxury car, so if you know what you're doing it's not hard at all" I nodded.

"What about getting to the locator?" She shrugged.

"If you know where it is and have a few minutes and the right tools, anyone who could bypass the truck's alarm and get into the truck could easily get to it" Ortado frowned. "It has to be accessible for servicing, so it couldn't be embedded inside the vehicle's frame" Mike nodded.

"So what you're saying is its best defence was people not knowing it was there" She sighed.

"Yes, something that obviously doesn't apply in this case" As they kept talking I zoned out for a moment, staring at the big electronic display without seeing it, thinking this through.

The vans were being stolen from driver's homes which meant the thieves knew where to go to get the van. While there were a lot of them here in LA they weren't something you'd find parked on every street, so someone knew where to look. That in turn suggested some inside information because I didn't think just anyone had access to that data. Looking up I waited until there was a break in the conversation before speaking.

"Which section here would have access to driver's personal information, especially their home addresses?" Ortado looked blankly at me for a second, surprised by the change of subject, before coming back to us.

"That would be HR, we have driver's names here but not their addresses" I nodded slowly.

"Can we talk to the head of HR please?" An hour later we had a lead. They'd hired a temp, a Japanese woman, Minoru Tanaka, to work for them for two weeks about two months ago, she'd had access to the staff database and a check of data logs had shown she'd accessed the database and saved it to a portable drive early one morning. The timeframe fit, the first attack had occurred the week after she'd grabbed the data, the suspects escaping in a UPS van, spotted by a neighbor.

We'd chased her details through the usual temp agency they used, but that had turned out to be a dead end, the home address she'd provided was a Japanese restaurant down in Little Tokyo and a check with them turned up nothing, they'd never heard of her, we'd showed them Tanaka's UPS ID photo taken when she started, but no one recalled seeing anyone that looked like her. It was a dead end, but not completely useless. We had a lead, a picture and a possible connection to the Yakuza plus the knowledge that they were going to continue to hijack UPS vans given they had the addresses to find them. Plus some pretty good Tepanyaki to go.

We'd headed back in to Parker Center where we exchanged notes with Sanchez and Flynn; they'd chased down the original owner of the house the Lin family now owned. He'd had the panic room installed when the house had been built as he was a gem dealer who worked from home; he kept his stock in the room and worked in there, trying to reduce the chance of a robbery. He'd assured them he kept the room's existence a secret, no one else had seen it until he'd put the house on the market.

It had featured as part of the advertising for the home, so our killers could have known of it, but it seemed like a long coincidence that the home invasion crew knew about both the house and that the current occupant stored his cash there. That in turn had led to interviewing Mrs. Lin, who couldn't really help us out; she was still trying to come to terms with her husband's death right in front of her eyes.

Flynn got the idea that maybe someone at Lin's company might have known, so we traipsed down there to interview some of the staff only to find that the bosses disdain for banks was well known. Interviewing the head of accounts, we asked about how the cash got home, only to find that it was also well known that the boss took an envelope full of cash home every week. Flynn and I just exchanged a glance at that, all the security in the world undermined by his casual attitude.

We headed back in to the office and added the few meagre details we'd gathered to the murder board as Brenda walked out to watch us. People get sucked in by the 'aw shucks Southern Belle' façade but that woman has a mind that's sharp as a razor and can connect the strangest things. She watched us write then stared at the board for as few minutes, her eyes faraway, before she smiled a little and turned to look at me.

"Detective Rizzoli…" She's always formal at work, it's important to her to not be seen to favour anyone no matter how close we were outside work hours. "…I have a job for you, it will require some tact and compassion, do you think you're up for it?" I should have been offended, but Brenda was good at gently teasing us and didn't mean anything bad by it, so I decided to play the game.

"Of course Chief, but I'm from Boston, we get that issued that with the badge, unlike here" She smiled, that wide mouthed, guile-free smile, way too many people get taken in by that smile, but I knew better.

"Why detective, are you casting aspersion on your fellow officers here in LA?" I shrugged, noting some of the other guys had started to listen in.

"I'm just going on the evidence available Chief" I waved my hand vaguely around the room. "I mean Flynn, Sanchez, Provenza, the evidence is kinda conclusive" There was a chorus of objections from around the room, making me grin, seeing Brenda do the same as she glanced around.

"Detective Rizzoli does make a good point gentlemen; after all wasn't it you Lieutenant Flynn, and you too Lieutenant Provenza, who tried to ignore a body dropping right in front of you a few years back because you had skybox tickets?" Ignoring their protests she glanced over at Sanchez. "And wasn't it you Detective Sanchez, who complained about that poor victim the other week who had the misfortune to be pushed off a twenty five story roof and splatter all over the sidewalk, making you complain about having to stand around in the hot sun while he was mopped up? And not just you as I recall…" There was a sudden silence, making Brenda's smile widen. "I thought so" She turned round to take me in.

"I have a job for you detective. I'd like you to go visit that poor girl who was sexually assaulted by the home invasion crew, perhaps she might know this woman" She waved at the murder board where Tanaka's photo was pinned up. "This Tanaka woman seems to have been involved in at least one aspect of this gang's work, maybe she's a common part of another" I stood up.

"On it Chief" She nodded then held up a finger, stopping me.

"Given how traumatizing the attack was, I might ask you to take Agent Romanov with you, perhaps speaking to a pair of women might make it a little easier for her" I nodded, that made sense, plus Ana was always looking for ways to get out of the office, she sometimes complained about being cooped up in a desk job. A few weeks back she'd casually mentioned that one of the reasons she hung around Major Crimes so much, besides the fact that Brenda and I worked there, was that we came up with the best excuses for her to get back out into the field, even if it was only for a short while.

Two hours later and we were back, we'd struck out. It had taken a while, the young woman, Erika Mori, had been defensive at first, not particularly wanting to talk about what had happened to her, completely understandable under the circumstances. We'd surprised her though by not raising it though, instead showing her the picture of Tanaka. She'd stared at it for a good long while before shaking her head, she'd not recognised her at all. That brought us back to the murder room, where we were tallying up what we'd learned. Brenda shook her head sadly.

"It surely would have helped if she'd recognised this woman" She sighed. "Ah well, let's move on"

My phone vibrated on my hip, alerting me to a text, I smiled when I saw it; Maura was on her way up. Looking up from the phone I listened in to the chatter round the room, investigations could go either way, sometimes inspiration came in a flash, someone suddenly seeing the missing piece of the puzzle. Other times it was a slow, painful, head-banging grind. This case was turning into one of those; it almost made me glad I was heading out to Boston this afternoon, almost. I started turning my computer off and clearing up my desk, getting ready to bail, Brenda saw it and raised an eyebrow, making me nod.

"If you'll excuse me Chief, I have a plane to catch" Brenda looked back, a slightly confused look on her face for all of half a second before she remembered.

"Oh yes, your Boston trip, when are you due back Detective?" I shrugged.

"If all goes well, two, maybe three days, depends on how good the DA is I suppose" I frowned. "I'd like to be back before Friday night, we have trivia that night" She nodded, we'd managed to rope her and Sharon in for that one.

"Indeed we do. Do you need a ride to the airport? I'm sure we can arrange for someone to run you out to LAX" I smiled past her at where I could see Maura walking down the corridor towards the murder room.

"Thanks Chief, but my chauffeur is here" She looked over her shoulder and saw Maura coming through the door, smiling at her before looking back at me, turning her smile on me.

"Then you'd best be on your way"

**A/N:** A bridging chapter I know but not every investigation has that 'ah-ha' moment, some of it is sheer disheartening grind.


	17. Chapter 17

**Intersecting Lines Book 2 **

**17 Boston Part 1**

Jane's viewpoint

Boston was cold, damned cold. A storm had swept in last night right behind my flight, dropping the temperature well below freezing and dumping heavy snow across the city overnight. For all my previous bitching, I was grateful for Nat's kindness, going out in this weather I needed the right clothes, plus the heavy weather coat that she'd added to the list at the last moment when we saw what the forecast weather was back here.

I'd spent the night at our old place at Beacon Hill; Ma was still living in the guest house and I was really glad she had the heating in the main house cranked up when I arrived, LA was making me soft; a few months out in California and I couldn't handle a Boston winter? I was reminded of a weird song I'd first heard when I was a kid, the Sunscreen song, something about living in California but leaving before it made you soft, same as living in New York but leave before it made you hard.

We'd sat and talked for a few hours, Ma couldn't hear enough about the proposal and New Year's Eve, about my job and our life out there. She obviously missed us, but when she started to give me grief about being abandoned here in Boston I deflected her by asking about Frankie and Tommy, setting her off on a loud moan about how they weren't looking hard enough for the right girl, ad nauseum, making me smile to myself, but hiding it inside where she couldn't see it.

Maura Skyped in and we caught up for a while, but I was so obviously tired; she'd caught me trying to stifle yawns several times, that she ended up sending me off to bed. I stumbled upstairs into our bedroom and fell asleep almost instantly but kept waking up, as if something was wrong. I got up twice to check the house, each time finding nothing. The third time I woke I'd finally realised what it was, the bed was empty, no reassuring warmth of Maura cuddled up against me, no silken hair on my shoulder, no soft, curvy body to spoon, our first time apart in almost a year and I missed her really badly.

"Not so badass now are you?" My soft, sad voice was loud in the quiet room. I ended up tossing and turning for a few hours before I finally fell asleep, totally exhausted.

The following morning I had breakfast with Ma before leaving for work; she nearly had a seizure when she saw me walk downstairs in a tailored dark blue pinstripe skirt suit and the knee boots. The look on her face was almost giddy with happiness, her daughter all girly without Maura holding a whip over me; I took an almost perverse pleasure in telling her that they weren't mine, they were a loan from a friend. Needless to say I got the expected 'why can't you dress like that all the time' lecture, in return giving her the expected Jane Rizzoli eye roll.

Heading into Boston PD headquarters in a cab, I found myself looking round, Boston was the same; it was me that was different. I was mentally checking off places I'd attended during my career here, a murder in that building, a mugging I'd interrupted as a beat cop in that alley off Brookline Avenue, sitting outside that apartment on stake out with Frost as we argued about Sox pitchers, plenty of memories, some good, some bad.

There were others as well, a restaurant that Maura had taken me to on a 'date' night not long after we first got together, the statue of George Washington in the common, we'd pass him on our runs together, the Hotel Commonwealth where we'd first come out publically at the Mayor's charity ball, lots of fond memories here too.

We finally ploughed our way through the slush to Schroeder Plaza, BPD headquarters. The cold was bitter and made me appreciate more than ever the possum fur-lined gloves Natalie had included with the clothes she'd loaned me. Apparently they'd come from some place in Tasmania and she'd picked them up in Seattle at a speciality store, loaning them to me when she'd checked Boston's weather forecast the night before I left. They were amazingly light and warm and she'd been adamant that I use them; that they'd help keep my hands warm and some of the worst of the pain from my scars at bay. She was right too, they still hurt, just not as much as I'd feared; I had enough issues being back in Boston without having to deal with crippling pain in my hands on top of everything else.

Walking into the building was familiar; my old BPD pass still worked thank god. Inside I made my way up to Homicide, getting the usual greetings, insults and a few strange looks from people I knew. Frost and Riley were already there when I walked into the room; Korsak and Cavanagh were still making their way in.

Frost gave me a bit of a hard time over the clothes but Riley looked me up and down and asked where I was buying my suits these days. I told them they were a loan from a friend and at my invitation we ended up down in the café to grab a coffee and catch up.

Frost and his former fiance the FBI agent were tentatively dating again, taking it very slow but they were hopeful, I was happy for him so I didn't give him too hard a time about it. Riley and Susie were going well, Riley had told Frost and Korsak that they were dating but after all the shit that had happened with Maura and I they'd all agreed that they'd keep it low key, especially from Cavanagh, his not-so-borderline homophobia had been a nasty surprise and a real disappointment when Maura and I had come out. He wasn't the only reason though, I was about to say something when one of the other primary reasons walked in.

"Jesus, it looks like a Rizzoli, but it can't be, this one looks like a woman" I turned in my seat, seeing that dickwad Crowe standing there, a smirk on his face; so slamming him back into his place in the scheme of things just came naturally.

"Crowe, are you still here? I thought they would have pensioned you off before now, on account of the injury and all" He got a wary look on his face.

"What the fuck are you talking about Rizzoli?" I gave him a nasty grin.

"Y'know, the RSI damage to your wrist from all those long nights of jacking off to internet porn, cause that's about as close as you're getting to a real woman" I heard Riley snicker behind me, she hated Crowe almost as much as I did; he was a grade A douchebag. He sneered back at me, making him look uglier than he already was.

"Well look at you, I see Isles is dressing you up all pretty, I suppose you're her bitch now" I saw Frost's head swing our way from where he was collecting our coffees but I made myself laugh.

"Yep, that I am Crowe" I held up my hand so he could see the ring, curling the other fingers down so he was getting a ring-finger bird; Maura had insisted on getting me the same one as she now wore, she'd said it meant exactly the same sentiments to her as it did to me. "Guess that means I'm getting more than you, mind you a nun's probably getting more than you do" I could see Crowe getting pissed; though it served the prick right, he should know better than to take me on. Riley grinned and sank the boot in.

"That's not completely true Jane, there's a new woman in Crowe's life; he was raving about her the other day. She's warm, cuddly and inflatable, which is about all the woman Crowe can handle. Best of all she doesn't complain about his tiny dick" I laughed as Crowe's complexion reddened alarmingly.

"Probably got more personality too" I turned back to look at Crowe, cutting him off before he could say anything. "No Crowe, despite what you might think, being a prick isn't a personality, mind you in you it's a defining trait" A couple of uniforms wandered past, laughing at him and winking at me; Crowe wasn't particularly popular, looking down on the beat cops and sucking up to the brass, whereas I'd never forgotten all those years in the blue suit and respected the people still pounding the beat. Crowe had opened his mouth to say something when he was interrupted.

"Don't you have better things to do than flap your mouth down here Crowe?" It was Cavanagh. "What's holding up the lab on ballistics from that drive-by? Make yourself useful and find out" He turned back to us, looking for his next target. "Frost, where are we on the Gonzales shooting? I want to see your witness statements ASAP" He turned on Riley before Frost could say anything. "I want a report on where you're at with those straight-razor murders on my desk by ten thirty" He turned to me, eyes running me up and down. "Rizzoli, so nice of you to visit, I see you're dressing better, let's hope the jury appreciates your new-found sense of style" I could see Cavanagh wasn't happy, wasn't hard to imagine why, having me back here must be pissing him off.

"Good to see you too ell tee" He nodded once, then looked round, to see everyone scattering. Satisfied he looked back at me. "My office" It wasn't a request. When we were seated he didn't mince words.

"Leave Crowe alone Rizzoli, he's an idiot but I don't need you needling him" I shrugged.

"Tell him to keep his petty bigoted opinions to himself and he'll be fine" Cavanagh looked across the desk at me.

"He's one of my detectives and he works here, so you'll keep your mouth shut around him. You're a guest here so try and behave like one" I could see Cavenagh was back to his usual shitty self. After Maura and I had come out he'd gone out of his way to tell us that he didn't like gays, making my life miserable in lots of petty ways. He'd loudly objected to our secondment, until he'd been told to pull his head in by HR, which he'd done with poor grace. He'd taken news that I was staying in LA at the end of the six months badly, it seemed he still wanted to play games; if so I was more than willing to push back. I'd wondered why he was pissed we weren't coming back given he disliked gays, but Riley and Susie had relayed that Cavanagh was copping grief from the brass as his closure rate was way down since we'd left, especially with that fool Pike as the M.E. I smiled a little nastily and sat back.

"I'll behave like a guest if Crowe behaves like an adult, it's probably beyond him actually but I'll tell you what; you keep Crowe on a leash and his mouth shut and I'll behave. He goes back to his usual behaviour and I'll rip him a new one, along with anyone else who's got issues with me" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Deal?" His frown was black and foreboding.

"I don't have to take shit from you Rizzoli, you'll do what you're told and like it" I smiled again. I wasn't the person I'd been when I left and I didn't work for him anymore.

"And I sure don't have to take any shit from you. What exactly is your problem Lieutenant?" He frowned darkly; I didn't know if it was at my question or my attitude.

"I have a department to run, trying to get a job done while being a detective down, plus Isles' replacement's an incompetent idiot. I was hoping you'd get your head and your life straight and get back to work, but obviously not" I smiled at him and deliberately sat back in the chair.

"Well ell tee, if you'd run your department like a professional organisation, rather than a dorm for homophobic college kids, Maura and I'd probably still be here. Instead I work with a squad full of guys who don't give a fuck about who I'm sleeping with, all they care about is that I do my job" He glared at me, but I didn't care, I didn't work for him anymore and he was reminding me why I'd happily gone with Maura to LA. I deliberately smiled at him, I was baiting him and I knew it. "As for straightening anything out, no thanks, I like things this way" His voice was full of suppressed anger.

"You've got a big mouth Rizzoli" I shrugged, uncaring.

"Yep; and you've got a shitty attitude towards gays, fortunately I only have to put up with it for a few days and then I'm outta here" His mouth was a hard line, his voice low with anger.

"Stay out of my way Rizzoli, testify then get the hell out of Boston" I smiled at him, as nastily as I could, matching my tone.

"Trust me, I'm here for the trial and then I'm back to Los Angeles where I get to work with professionals" I stood. "In the meantime, keep your pathetic attitude and your even more pathetic frat boys out of my way, I'd hate to see either of them getting bent" I turned and walked out, looking for Korsak. He was standing near his desk looking past me towards Cavanagh's office; as I walked over to him he dropped his voice.

"Jesus Janie, what'd you do to Cavanagh, he looks like someone shoved a lit stick up his ass, if looks could kill…" I shrugged.

"He's playing his old games, I don't have to take his shit now and took probably a little too much pleasure letting him know I don't" Vince frowned.

"Don't piss him off too much Jane, he could still cause you problems if he tries" I shook my head.

"Nah, if he gets too shitty I'll drop a line to some journalists at the Globe and WHDH News and let them know the real reason Maura and I left Boston. He can spend his time dealing with that and some nasty questions from the Mayor's office when they work out he's why the Isles Foundation has scaled back its support for some of the Mayor's favorite charity work" I glanced back at where Cavanagh was sitting in his office, watching me. "He'll be too busy dealing with that fall out to worry about me"

Korsak looked at me like I'd sprouted a second head, can't say I blamed him though.

"You, talk to the press?" I shrugged. It wasn't like I'd had the best relationship with them in the past.

"Friend of ours back in LA is the LAPD media manager; she's given me some tips on working with the media" Vince shook his head then looked me over.

"Some fashion tips too by the look of it" I chuckled.

"They're her clothes actually, but you can imagine what Ma thought" He laughed, a real one that started deep in his belly.

"Like all her Christmases had come?" I nodded ruefully.

"Yep, she was VERY disappointed. You want a coffee? I was in the process of getting one when Cavanagh dragged me into his office" He nodded.

"Sure, as long as you're buying. It'll give us a chance to talk about the case" He stood up as I grabbed my cell and wallet out of my bag, Natalie's clothes look good but they're so tightly tailored that they don't have all the pockets I'm used to.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that, what's the basis for the appeal?" He shrugged as we headed for the door

"Defense is claiming that we ignored evidence pointing to it being a street gang slaying" I shook my head in exasperation.

"That's bullshit, no way, besides we dragged in all the local gang bangers as part of the canvas and they alibi'd out" Korsak nodded in agreement.

"I know, I know, but they got a hearing so we're back in from first thing tomorrow" We exchanged a look.

"Who's presiding?" He shrugged.

"Judge Stillwell" I nodded, I'd testified in front of him before, Stillwell had been on the bench practically forever, he normally ran a tight ship though he did have his idiosyncrasies, he cared more about the law than politics which was why he was still here in Boston rather than on the bench of the Supreme Court. Ah well, a couple of days and I'd be out of here.

"Great, not like I had better things to do" He looked interested.

"Yeah, so tell me, what's the LAPD got you doing now?" I shrugged.

"Same old, same old"

The rest of the day was busy, going over the case files, checking the evidence, familiarising myself with the case we'd built on the first run through. I still couldn't see that the appeal would get up, but who was I to argue?

That afternoon I rang Maura, it was early afternoon in LA, she was fine but admitted that she hadn't slept at all well last night, for the same reason I hadn't. We chatted for a while before we finished up, then I rang Natalie with a request.

That night Ma cooked dinner at our old place in Beacon Hill; Frost and his girlfriend, Special Agent Anna Farrell, Korsak, Frankie, Ma, Riley and Susie. My brother Tommy was apparently back to being a dick about Maura being with me so he'd begged off, not that I really missed his glowering presence. Ma had cooked her gnocchi, which was amazing, plus cannelloni for desert, it was almost worth it to fly all this way for her cooking, almost. Afterwards we sat around chatting for a while before I pulled up the laptop and plugged it into the big screen television so that everyone could see as I Skyped Maura.

The call went through, but it wasn't Maura who answered, rather it was Natalie, she looked into the camera and smiled happily.

"Hi Jane, Maura's just in the bathroom, she'll be here in a moment" I could see that it was their apartment in the background and I smiled, looks like my request had worked. Ana's head appeared on the screen next to Natalie's.

"Hey Jane, how's Boston?"

"Damned cold, there was a big snow dump last night after I got in" I looked round. "Let me introduce you" I introduced them both then worked round the room, I noticed Frankie showing a lot more interest in the chat after a look at Nat and Ana and had to smother a laugh at his expense.

By now Maura had returned so Ana and Nat begged off, Ana was cooking and Nat had some work to do, so they said goodbye and Maura's face appeared, her smile at seeing everyone clustered around was huge.

The next ten minutes was spent chatting, catching up with what people in Boston had been doing, Maura's innate sense of good manners meant she had to chat to everyone before we got to talk privately, eventually she'd spoken with everyone so I unplugged from the television and walked into another room to have a private chat, mostly about how much we missed one another. Maura explained that Natalie had arrived at her office and insisted that she stay the night at their place tonight. I smiled at that, if all went well at least she'd get a good night's sleep.

Finally we wrapped up; I missed her and told her so in no uncertain terms; I couldn't wait to get back to her, the sooner the better. We exchanged Skype kisses, holding our fingers to the screen, before we logged off, leaving me ruefully wondering when I'd turned into such a pile of mush. Just as ruefully I knew the answer, the first time Maura turned that smile on me, after that I was ruined for anyone else.

Back out in the main room there were a few questions from everyone about Nat and Ana, Ma thought they were very pretty; Frankie did too but he was coming from a completely different perspective. I smiled as I let them know that they were our best friends in LA and that they were taken. Anna Farrell was interested to learn that Ana was another Bureau agent as she'd not crossed paths with her before. We chatted for a while about some of the cases we'd worked on, in particular the sniper case we'd closed and the home invasions one we were still chasing down, before everyone eventually took their leave.

That night I slept a little better, mostly from exhaustion, though it wasn't what I would call a particularly restful sleep. The sooner I was out of here and back in LA with Maura the better.

The following day was court day though I wasn't sure if I'd get called today or tomorrow, it depended on how things went with other witnesses. I dressed in the charcoal pants suit and the low boots and headed down for breakfast, getting a look from Ma that basically demanded to know why I wasn't in a dress. It turned out I wasn't need in court today, the lawyers were arguing about precedents and points of law, so I'd spent a few hours twiddling my thumbs and reacquainting myself with the case notes before they got around to telling me I wouldn't be needed until tomorrow. Mind you, everything I read just convinced me that we had the right guy behind bars and I just wanted that confirmed so I could go home.

I had an amusing late morning call from Maura, she was sheepish, having stayed over with Nat and Ana last night she was all set to call it a night when they'd handed over her silk pajamas and told her she was sleeping with them, before practically frog marching her into their bedroom where she'd slept spooned between Nat and Ana. The surprise in her voice when I'd told her I'd asked them to do just that had been hilarious but she did agree that she'd slept almost normally. I smiled and told her that it was a stop gap until I got home, but Maura felt guilty, that I'd organised a good night's sleep for her while I wasn't sleeping well here, making me feel a special kinda warm inside; that's my girl, putting everyone else ahead of herself, it's just yet another reason why I love her.

Having been released from court duty that afternoon I'd made my way through the snow to BPD headquarters where I'd spent a few hours with Riley going over my cold cases that she was taking over permanently. Just before I headed home, we got a call; the lawyers having finally got their shit squared away, Korsak, Frost and I would all be required to give evidence tomorrow morning, I wasn't too upset, the quicker we put the appeal to bed the sooner I could get out of here and back to LA. I had dinner at Riley and Susie's place and spent a few hours catching up on the gossip, I have to say for someone who looks like she couldn't hurt a fly Susie's angry disgust at Maura's idiot replacement was a real surprise.

I'd laughed at her polite request to shoot Pike and then head back to LA; she guaranteed that no evidence would ever be found to link me to it. I'd smiled and told her he was now Riley's problem, getting an eye roll in return as Riley pointed out that she'd been tempted often enough. Susie just laughed and said that if Maura saw what a mess Pike had made of her office and her organisation, she'd want to kill him too.

I finally headed back to Beacon Hill about 10.30, it had been a fun night with them both, they were obviously happy together and I was glad they had each other, given all the stress they were both under.

Remembering Ana's advice about looking impressive in court, I ended up wearing the high-heeled knee boots again, teamed with the knee-length light grey pinstripe skirt suit, if nothing else it made Ma happy.

I spent the morning sitting at the court; playing Angry Birds while I waited to give evidence; Frost then Korsak were called, before it was my turn. I stood by the door to the court, getting my game face on; I wanted to nail this shut so I could get the hell away from Boston, back to my home, back to Maura.

"Detective, they're ready for you" I looked up to see the clerk holding the door open and nodded. Showtime.


	18. Chapter 18

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**18 ****Boston Part 2**

Jane's viewpoint

Nodding I strode in to the courtroom, remembering Nat's advice that night back at their place. '_It's just like dealing with the media Jane, make an entrance, command the scene, state your case confidently, let them ask their questions, take the time to formulate an answer, make your answer succinct, factual and to the point, then get the hell out of there as soon as you can_'. I'd seen her work the media and she was very good at it so I wasn't going to argue, besides it was all good advice.

I strode in, took the witness stand and the oath, then sat, looking across at the jury, then at the scumbag at the defense table; Anthony 'Big Tony' Albanese, mid-level enforcer with Boston's biggest Mafia family and a man with a foul temper.

He'd beaten a pimp working for the Irish Mob almost to death, 'sending a warning' apparently. Trouble was what should have been a beating had gone wrong, the pimp had a heart condition and he'd popped a blood vessel, dead at Albanese's hands. Big Tony had bolted but in his hurry to get away he'd tripped a BPD speed trap, they'd gone after him when he hadn't stopped and he'd ended up boxed in and dragged out of his car.

We'd been investigating the murder and a witness had seen a similar car to Albanese's speeding away from the scene; we'd managed to put together a circumstantial case against Albanese, based on forensic evidence Maura had derived from the victim's wounds. The defence hadn't been stupid enough to contest the forensics; putting Maura on the stand wouldn't help their case at all. Instead they were taking the angle that the injuries identified an assailant, but there wasn't enough evidence to tie that evidence directly to Albanese.

Albanese and I had gone a few rounds in the interview room, he and his criminal lawyer; a redundant statement if ever there was one there, had tried to play dumb, but we'd managed to trip him up on one or two statements, which had sent us off chasing some of the Irish mob's working girls.

Their statements had eventually led us to two unsolved murders of prostitutes over the previous five years; both beaten to death, the forensics had been close enough to suggest that the same person had delivered all three beatings. Following up with the Vice squad, we'd found several other prostitutes who'd been beaten so badly they been unable to work, one of them was living in a church-run nursing home, her injuries were so bad.

We'd interviewed them and two had stated that Albanese had been the one to beat them, which had been enough to lay charges. We'd gone through a messy court case, but we'd sent Albanese to prison for the rest of his life, or so we'd thought.

Now they were back, claiming we'd not followed up on the chance of the killing being a local street gang showing some muscle. It was BS of course, but over the last two years, both of our witnesses had died under 'mysterious circumstances', leaving the evidence unsupported by the women's testimony, having them testify in court had been powerful stuff, powerful enough to sway the jury.

Without them we had to fall back on transcripts which didn't have the same impact. The DA's office had made it clear that it was up to me to make the case, I'd been the lead on the case, I'd made the collar and I'd sent him away. Now I had to do it again.

The first hour or so of testimony was pretty straightforward, just restating the case, but just after the lunch recess the defence, led by a slime ball lawyer named Stephen Morrow, had sprung a surprise.

"Detective, I understand that the victims of these crimes were all believed to be working for the Irish mob here in Boston, is that correct?" I nodded once.

"Yes, that's correct" He nodded agreeably, all for appearances sake.

"And that the main competition in the prostitution area to the Irish mob is the Italian crime families, would you agree with that assessment?" I frowned inwardly, but kept my face impassive.

"At the street level, yes that would be correct"He nodded again, all helpful-like.

"And that anything which impacted on the activities of the Italian crime families in this area would help the Irish mob here in Boston" I suddenly felt a cold ball appear in my stomach, I knew exactly where he was going with this. Struggling to remain impassive I glanced at the ADA before answering.

"Potentially, though so do lots of other things" Morrow smiled pleasantly at me, though it was all for show.

"And isn't it true that you were the lead officer on this case, Detective Rizzoli?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I was" Morrow stepped away from the table and walked towards the jury.+

"It's also true that you are personally involved with Maura Isles, the daughter of the head of the Irish mob here in Boston, Paddy Doyle; and that your actions materially aided Paddy Doyle's people in increasing their hold on prostitution in Boston?"

The noise in the room rose as the ADA, Eric Schmidt, jumped to his feet, shouting objections. I sat there and kept my mouth shut as Schmidt made his case to the Judge. Finally the Judge ruled that I should answer.

"I was not involved with Doctor Isles three years ago when this case was first tried. We only commenced dating just over a year ago" Morrow smiled, all surface charm for the jury.

"But you were close friends, weren't you?"

"We worked together, as such we were friends" Morrow smiled, a little less pleasantly.

"Your actions helped Paddy Doyle's people further their hold on the street prostitution industry in Boston, did it not?" I tried desperately to keep my face and voice dispassionate.

"Given the Italian and Irish mobs compete in just about every area of criminal activity anything that hurts one helps the other" Morrow turned to the Judge.

"Your honour, given the nature of the relationship between this detective and the Irish crime syndicate here in Boston, I move that we strike out all of this witnesses' testimony and that of the Medical Examiner's Office. We further seek for this court to declare a misstrial, given evidence from neither this witness nor the Medical Examiner can be considered uncompromised"

Schmidt was on his feet, shouting objections while Morrow stood there as I glanced across to see Albanese trying to hide his smirk, not particularly well ether. For the next few minutes I sat there while the lawyers traded precedents and barbs, but even I could tell they were getting nowhere, Schmidt was reasonably competent but he was sure as hell no Alex Cabot. Finally I'd had enough and turned to the Judge.

"Your honour, may I speak?" I saw Schmidt shoot me a glance and shake his head but ignored him as Stillwell regarded me.

"Detective Rizzoli, given the serious nature of the issues in front of me today, do you think that's wise?" I shook my head and ignored the ADA, speaking directly to the Judge and the jury.

"Your honour, Mister Morrow here is trying to claim that somehow my testimony and that of Doctor Isles is tainted by a distant association. Given it's my reputation and my testimony that's being debated here, I feel I should be heard, at the moment we've only heard one side of the story, I think the court needs to hear both sides" There was silence in the court for about ten seconds, before Morrow stood up and spoke.

"Your honour, I ask that this witness be dismissed, I see no way their testimony can be admitted" Stillwell turned to him and looked over the top of his glasses.

"Mister Morrow, that is not your decision to make, unless I am very much mistaken this is my court and I preside here" With all the dignity and gravitas of a senior Judge Stillwell looked at Morrow and dropped his voice. "Do I make myself clear?" Morrow stood there for a second then nodded. "Now sit down" Morrow dropped into his seat like a stone. The Judge turned to me and regarded me for a moment as I desperately tried not to fidget with my scars.

"Detective Rizzoli, do you believe anything you say here will have a material impact on your fitness as a witness here in my court?" I nodded once, trying to look confident.

"I do your honour" Stillwell looked at me for a few seconds and then sat back.

"Given the outstanding reputation you have and recognising the importance to this trial of the evidence of both you and Doctor Isles, I grant you leave to address the court" I nodded and stood, turning to shoot him an apologetic look.

"Sorry your honour, but I kinda think better on my feet" He nodded as I stepped down from the witness stand and walked out into the open area where the lawyers normally prowled. I swallowed a few times before nodding to myself, I could do this.

"Thank you your honour" I took a deep breath, faced the jury and jumped in. "The testimony of my colleague Doctor Maura Isles has been called into question today on the basis of a distant blood relationship between Doctor Isles and Paddy Doyle. In turn my testimony's been questioned because I'm engaged to Doctor Isles" I unconsciously started pacing between the jury's box and the Judge's bench, my hands starting to gesture and wave as my thoughts started to flow.

"That would suggest that we don't take our oaths of office and to this court seriously. We stand in the witness box and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, in front of god" I was walking in a circuit, my thoughts racing as I glanced up at the jury.

"I don't know about you, but I was raised an Italian Catholic, you kinda take your oaths to god pretty seriously given that upbringing" There was a small whisper of amusement in the jury as I spoke. "Now Mister Morrow here seems to be suggesting that both our testimonies are somehow tainted by an old association; that Doctor Isles is covering for Paddy Doyle because she is related to him and that because I am involved with Doctor Isles my testimony's suspect too" I shrugged, turning to look at Morrow, my eyes automatically narrowing. "Frankly I find his claims insulting" Morrow was on his feet in an instant.

"Objection" Stillwell looked over at him and shook his head.

"Detective Rizzoli was making a statement of fact Counselor. Objection overruled, sit down" I nodded at the Judge gratefully and continued.

"I've been a police officer for many years, my record speaks for itself, or at least I hope it does" I started pacing again. "I'd like to address the concerns that Mister Morrow has raised one at a time"

"Firstly, he claims that Doctor Isle's testimony can't be trusted because she is Paddy Doyle's biological daughter. That may mean something, except that she was placed up for adoption at birth, never knowing who her real parents were. Apparently her own biological mother was told that she had died in childbirth" I shrugged. "I say apparently as Doctor Isles still doesn't know who she was and Paddy Doyle won't tell her" I stopped and looked up at the Judge, then the jury, meeting the eyes of each of them. "That hardly seems like the relationship of someone close to her, especially given she had no idea who he was until just recently" I swung back towards the jury.

"In the last couple of years, Doctor Isles has learnt who her biological father is" I paused and looked at the Judge. "Did she run off wanting to be with him?" I shook my head. "Hell no, she helped us try and convict him, it took us a while, but in the meantime her evidence helped us close down some of Paddy Doyle's operations" I shrugged again. "Doesn't seem like the actions of a doting daughter to me"

I completed the latest leg of my circuit and turned back towards the jury, my hands clasped behind my back. Unconsciously I'd dropped into a pacing rhythm, stalking back and forward, I was sure the boot's steady footfalls would have been loud except for the carpet.

"Did Doctor Isle's distant association with her sperm donor actually have any benefits to her?" I shook my head. "God no, it nearly got her killed, more than once" I turned and moved towards the jury once more. "It nearly got us both killed on several occasions, by people trying to hurt her to somehow get to Paddy Doyle" I looked across the faces of the jurors as I paced towards them.

"Thanks to the efforts of Doctor Isles, a number of cases have been successfully closed against the Irish mob, Paddy Doyle's organisation. Without her hard work and dedication, several of those cases may have failed. I stopped and looked at the jury, sweeping my eyes over them. "But they did not fail and instead a number of members of the Irish and the Italian mobs today sit in prison cells because of her efforts, including Tony Albanese here" Morrow was on his feet in an instant.

"Objection Your Honour, Detective Rizzoli presumes guilt on my client's part" I shrugged and spoke before Stillwell could.

"I stated that Mr Albanese here went to jail partly because of the results of forensic evidence overseen by Doctor Isles" I shrugged again. "I was stating a fact, not commenting on his guilt or otherwise" Morrow turned to Stillwell who waved him back to his seat.

"Overuled, continue please Detective" I nodded at the judge before I turned and pointed at Morrow.

"But the defence claims that her evidence is somehow untrustworthy, because of a biological link which Doctor Isles didn't seek, didn't welcome and sure as hell doesn't return" I let my arm drop and swung my eyes across the jury again. "My friend and colleague bears the name of her parents, Richard and Constance Isles. They may not have been her biological parents but they are her true parents. Paddy Doyle was a sperm donor, nothing more. He abandoned her at birth, while apparently telling her birth mother her child had been stillborn" I shrugged. "Nothing there suggests anything that would build a close familial bond" Seeing a few nods from jurors, I turned and started another circuit, heading back towards Judge Stillwell's bench. I had to convince him as well.

"Doctor Isles is considered an expert witness on forensics medicine, consulted by numerous state and federal agencies due to her acknowledged expertise. The defence seeks to have that evidence overturned on the basis of an accidental relationship. The thing is, Maura Isles is a scientist and everything has to be proven in science, especially if it's going to be used as evidence" I swung around again to complete another circuit across the open space as I continued speaking.

"The good thing about science though, it's got to be factual and it's gotta be something you can reproduce, in any lab anywhere. Her work's peer-reviewed cause she's a frequent contributor to scientific journals about forensics, some of those articles directly relate to evidence used in successful cases and trials" I swung back towards the Judge.

"There's never been a single complaint about her work, neither in the peer-reviewed press, nor in any of her cases, not a one" I came to a stop, one arm pointing at the Defence table. "You notice Mister Morrow here isn't arguing against the forensics in this case, they accept her work there, so this has nothing to do with Doctor Isles competence" Morrow started to get to his feet, but at a wave from the Judge he sank back.

"Instead it's about my testimony" I started pacing again. "Apparently just because I'm closely linked to Maura Isles, who's distantly linked to Paddy Doyle, that means somehow I'm untrustworthy" I shot him a filthy look, it was a good thing I didn't have my gun on me, I'd be tempted to use it, this was my life Morrow had spat on, my honor, my word, my relationship with Maura.

"If I'm so untrustworthy when it comes to Paddy Doyle, there's one person who'd happily agree" I saw people sit up straighter, wondering where I was going. "Paddy Doyle himself wouldn't trust me; after all I shot him, put him in hospital and sent him to jail, where he's waiting to be tried on racketeering charges. He's there because I put a shot into him before he could put one into me" I swung round, stopping and staring down at Morrow; god knows what my face looked like.

"Paddy Doyle lay in his hospital bed and told me that if I hadn't shot him, he sure as hell would have shot me" I shrugged. "Hardly seems like someone who I'd be doing any favors' for" Morrow stood and looked to the Judge.

"Objection, hearsay" I turned to look at the Judge, who looked back.

"Well detective?"

"Several other people, including members of the Boston Police Department heard the statement your honor, I can give you their names and you can call them if you want" Stillwell pursed his lips then spoke.

"Who exactly are we talking about Detective?"

"Lieutenant Sean Cavanagh and Detective Barry Frost of the BPD, plus Doctor Maura Isles" Maura had been in the room, Cavanagh and Frost just outside. I was struck by a thought and smiled. "There was one other witness your honor" The Judge peered over his glasses at me and spoke, his voice questioning.

"And who might that be Detective?" I smiled, knowing I was about to throw the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons.

"Paddy Doyle himself" There was a ripple of whispering around the room as I continued. "God knows I'm not exactly his favourite person, something I'm sure he'd be happy to tell everyone here" I shrugged as nonchalantly as I could. "You could call him to testify if you want" Stillwell nodded slowly to himself then looked across at Morrow, who was standing there, his face held rigid.

"I don't think that will be necessary thank you Detective Rizzoli, objection overruled" He looked at me again and I nodded in thanks.

"So basically Mister Morrow here thinks I'm an unreliable witness because I'm lucky enough to be engaged to someone who is unfortunate enough to be linked by an accident of birth to Paddy Doyle" I looked down at the ring on my finger and smiled for a moment, then looked up.

"Obviously we now know where Mister Morrow sits on the whole nature versus nurture thing, he obviously thinks that distant ties of blood mean more than a lifetime of love and support from family and friends. That Maura Isles doesn't exist, instead that she's Maura Doyle" I turned and shot the dirtiest, most contemptuous look I was capable of at Morrow, who broke our eye contact and looked down at his notes. I turned back and started pacing again.

"Maura Doyle died on the day she was born; you can go and see her headstone in Boston's Central Burying Ground. On that same day Maura Isles was born, daughter of Constance and Richard Isles. Educated at some of the best schools here and overseas, she eventually came back to Boston and applied her talent and intellect to solving murders, working with the BPD Homicide unit; she's helped solve some of the most difficult cases we've ever faced" I shrugged. "Not much sign of Paddy Doyle's influence there" I swung around again, for a moment I almost looked to see if I was wearing a path in the carpet, smiling to myself a little before I pressed on, I felt like I was on a roll and needed to bring this one home.

"That leaves me. That because I'm involved with Maura, that somehow the non-existent hold Paddy Doyle has over Maura then somehow means that she then influences what I do when it comes to him too. I call that bull…" I paused, seeing Stillwell's disapproving eye on me. "Sorry your honor" He nodded and I started again. "I call that ridiculous" I heard a couple of poorly-suppressed sniggers as I swung round and started back towards the jury.

"Yeah, I'm involved with Maura Isles. I'm pretty damned lucky to be able to stand there and say that. That's not just because she's smart and beautiful and someone really special and I love her" I sighed.

"Nope, I'm lucky because I've lost track of the number of times she or I have almost died doing this job over the last four years" I found myself grimacing at the memories. "We deal with serial killers, murderers, arsonists, psychopaths, gangers and mobsters and lots of other dangerous people and we do our damndest to put them behind bars. That puts both of us in danger; god knows we've both got the physical and mental scars to prove it"

"That said, we keep doing it; Maura and I have relocated to California where we now work for the Los Angeles Police Department but that doesn't mean our lives are any easier. In fact not so long ago I spent a morning huddled behind a car that was slowly being shot to pieces by a sniper who'd already killed eight people, including two cops. It's what we do, we solve crimes even if they put us at risk, it's the result of the oath we swear working in law enforcement" I stopped when I stood and looked across the jury, then back at the Judge.

"The only thing I want for Paddy Doyle is for him to stay behind bars for the rest of his life. Maybe with Paddy out of the way permanently people will stop looking for ways to hurt him by going after Maura. One of the reasons we moved to LA was because out there Paddy Doyle's name means nothing and the tenuous links Mister Morrow here seems so interested in mean nothing either" I sighed.

"There we can just do our jobs, far from Paddy Doyle and all the shi...the stuff that surrounds him" I turned to look at Albanese and Morrow. "As for doing anything to help Paddy Doyle's people take over prostitution, well prostitution is the responsibility of the Vice Squad, not Homicide" I shook my head.

"I try and solve murders. I believe that we sent the right person to jail three years ago and that Tony Albanese should go back to a cell right next to Paddy Doyle, so they can spend the rest of their lives together paying for their sins" Morrow was on his feet shouting objections but I ignored him, walking back to the witness stand and sitting down.

The Judge waved Morrow back into his seat and turned to look at me, his voice quiet.

"Have you finished Detective Rizzoli?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm finished giving my statement your honor, now I'm back to just being a witness, if you'll let me" Stillwell sat back and stared at me for almost a minute as I tried not to fidget, then turned to Morrow.

"I believe that you were cross examining the witness Counselor?" I looked up at Morrow, seeing him staring back at me as I smiled as nastily as I possibly could. '_Bring it on_'. He must have realised what that look meant as he stood and looked at the Judge.

"No more questions your honor" I could see the furious look on Albanese's face as he rounded on Morrow but the lawyer just looked at him and shook his head slowly, you could see the subtext right there; '_it's over_'. The Judge turned and looked at me.

"You may step down Detective" I nodded and stood, making my way towards the exit. "Oh, Detective Rizzoli?" I stopped and turned back to face the Judge, to find him looking at me over his glasses.

"I have two regrets Detective Rizzoli, the first being that you have moved to California, which means I won't see you testify again in my court" I nodded carefully, straightening up under his scrutiny, wondering where this was going. "The second is that you chose law enforcement instead of law, you'd have made one hell of a lawyer" I nodded, swallowing into a suddenly constricted throat. Finally I managed to speak.

"Thank you your honor" I paused for a moment, till I was sure I had myself under control. "Judge Stillwell, it's been an honor and a privilege" He watched me for a moment, like he could read my mind and then nodded.

"You are excused detective" I nodded and walked out the door.


	19. Chapter 19

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**19 Rizzoli vs. Rizzoli**

Jane's viewpoint

I was packing everything up before heading back to Logan and my flight home, I'd said my goodbyes to Ma and the guys in at headquarters, the ones I wanted to anyway, and was about to call a cab when I heard the front door bell ringing. I walked out into the main room and could see through the window that it was my brother Tommy.

For a moment I felt like ignoring him, I really didn't want to have to deal with him right now, I just wanted to get the hell away from Boston, get back to LA and Maura and I really didn't need his shit right now.

"I know you're in there Jane, if you don't open this goddamned door I'm gonna kick it in" His shouted threat was accompanied by a loud drumming as he hammered the door. Taking a deep breath I walked to the door and threw it open, seeing my little brother there, full of piss and wind, his face red with cold and maybe anger.

"So it's true, you're back" I nodded, his tone was angry and bitter.

"I was, just for a few days, I had to give evidence for an appeal" He took a step forward.

"You gonna keep me out here in the cold or you going to let me in?" I stepped back from the door, it was cold out there.

"Oh yeah, sorry, come in" He pushed past me and into the house as I closed the door and turned to follow him as he moved into the living area, where he spun to face me.

"So when you coming back Jane?" He frowned, his voice clipped. "You and Maura?"

"I'm not, we're not" I shrugged. "We're settled in Los Angeles, we're happy there"

"That's crap and you know it" I looked back at him, trying not to let my irritation show as I waited for his latest flash of brilliance to play out.

"Excuse me?" He gestured around the room.

"Boston's your home, Maura's home, this's Maura's house, she should be here" I shrugged, trying to play it calm, not giving him any reason to blow whatever cool he might have had.

"Not anymore. Los Angeles is home now, we're both settled there, happy"

"What are you running from Jane?" I frowned, trying to follow his logic, not always an easy task, Tommy's always run on emotion and anger, logic's never really been his strong suit.

"Nothing, we've found our place there, job, friends, it's our place now"

"Why you hiding Maura out there, how come she isn't here now" I tried not to let what I was thinking show as I got an inkling of what he was on about; Maura, with Tommy it always came back to Maura.

"She has a job to do Tommy, same as me. She's doing hers there; I'm doing mine here, at least for a few more hours"

"She had a job here, a home, family, until you dragged her away from us"

"I didn't drag her anywhere Tommy, we both had job opportunities there, good ones, better ones than here" I shook my head. "We explained this to everyone including you before we moved out there. This was good deal for both of us so we took it"

"Like hell, you ran away to LA, ran from everything here, dragged Maura the hell away from all her friends, we're her family and you took her away" I nodded to myself. Of course it was about Maura, with Tommy it was always about Maura, that's when it wasn't all about him.

"We made the decision to spend time out of Boston; that was our decision, both of us, one we're both happy with" He still wasn't getting it, not listening or more likely not wanting to hear it.

"So when are you coming back?"

"I told you, I'm not, we're not. We're happy there; we have great friends, important jobs, a home, so we're staying" He shook his head angrily. I don't know what had got him so steamed, he'd always been a dick about us being together, but this was new.

"So that's your decision, didn't Maura get a say?"

"No Tommy, it wasn't my decision, it was our decision" He slashed his hand across between us, cutting me off.

"Bull, you've always pushed Maura to do what you want. It's always been about what you want"

"That's crap and you know it. No one tells Maura what to do, least of all me" I shook my head. "We make all the big decisions together, that's what couples do" Tommy sneered, it made his face ugly.

"Couples, yeah right. You think you've got what you want but you don't" He stepped a little closer. "You can't give her what she wants" I felt my teeth grind in frustration and growing anger.

"And what the hell would that be Tommy?"

"Like you don't know" I took a breath as I tried to stamp down on my temper before speaking.

"C'mon Tommy enlighten me, what flash of insight have you got this time?"

"You can't give her real love. That's why she needs a husband, someone who can love her right, give her the kids she wants" I felt my head lower as my shoulders hunched, I could feel the anger building inside me, Tommy was treading into places he shouldn't, dangerous places. With effort I forced my head up and kept my voice calm.

"And let me guess. You're the one to give her that right?"

"At least I can, you can't give her kids" I forced the scowl that had taken up residence on my face away.

"Sounds like you have all the answers Tommy" I shook my head. "Don't suppose you've heard of donor insemination, or In-vitro fertilization, or intrauterine insemination?" I saw his frown. "Trust me, we know all about them" We'd looked into all of them, Maura had done all the research and we'd talked about all of them, plus adopting a child, or more than one, we didn't care about the method; we both wanted a family of our own.

"Why do you need test tube kids, Maura needs a husband, someone who'll give her just what she needs, the old fashioned way" I clenched my teeth to bite off my immediate response, Tommy had always been a jerk, now he was being an ass, an ass on his way to a beating if he kept on. "She'd probably prefer it anyway" He gave me a sleazy smirk. "She just needs a good Rizzoli fucking, the kind you can't give her" I felt my teeth clench hard before I managed to push out words through them, even to my ears my voice was low and verging on feral.

"Tommy, you do not get to talk about Maura that way, ever" He just smirked even wider; he knew he was getting to me. He'd always been able to get to me, all through growing up, he'd been the youngest and Ma's favourite, using that to avoid retribution for being a complete dick. I'd been hopeful he'd started to grow out of it, looks like I was wrong about him, yet again.

"Why, afraid she might like some Rizzoli dick more than Rizzoli snatch" I suddenly realised I was looking up at him again, my head had lowered again as the anger built up within me, I took a small step forward as I spoke, my voice dangerous even to my ears, unfortunately Tommy was either being particularly stupid or particularly vicious, I wouldn't have bet on it either way.

"Get out" Tommy just sneered at me and took a step forward, close enough to do something stupid.

"Go to hell Jane" Unconsciously muscle memory and training started to take over, my left hand straightening into a karate position while my right folded itself into a fist, my body starting to turn slightly side on.

"Either leave now or leave in a gurney, I don't care Tommy, but either way you're leaving"

I saw the punch coming a mile off, a few months ago it might have caught me by surprise; now though, not a chance. Compared to Ana's lightning fast strikes this was so slow and obvious he might as well have started in the next county, giving me enough time to consider three counters, all of which hurt. Instead I stepped to one side and let it pass through empty air. I hoped he got the message but Tommy always was a little slow on the uptake; he swung again, this time with his right fist.

This time I let the swing pass before I grabbed his right wrist in my right hand, bringing my left hand up to force his elbow the wrong way. Too hard and I would have broken it, left it shattered, instead I used just enough pressure and pain to push him off his feet and onto his knees as I held him there, his face wincing, his voice urgent.

"Ow! Jesus, leggo" I ignored him, keeping up the pressure as I leaned forwards, my voice low and clipped, suffused with the anger I was feeling.

"Remember Tommy, I could have shattered your arm, but I didn't" I put just a little more pressure into his elbow, getting a muffled scream out of him. "Think about that the next time you go to hit me, cause I'll put you in the hospital if I have to" With that I let go and stepped back as he stared up at me from his knees.

"What the fuck happened to you Jane?" I looked down on him with a combination of pity and contempt.

"I grew up Tommy, I stopped being the person you kept walking over, stopped listening to Ma's excuses and started treating you like the angry punk kid you still are" He sneered as he climbed back to his feet.

"What makes you so high and fucking mighty?" I shrugged, slowly forcing myself to relax, I didn't think he'd be stupid enough to take another swing; I'd surprised him and probably scared him a little.

"I dunno Tommy, maybe it's because I own up to my mistakes, my bad decisions, not run from them when they blow up in my face" He sneered for want of anything better.

"Fuck off Jane" I shook my hand as I crossed my arms in front of me.

"Is that the best you can do, you really are our father's son. Don't get what you want and you sulk. Jesus you really are a pathetic kid" Tommy took a step forward, stopping at my glare as I uncrossed my arms. Maybe he wasn't quite as stupid as I remembered.

"Hey, you leave Pop out of this" Tommy had always idolized Pop; even his walking away hadn't done anything to change that, unfortunately.

"Why? He wouldn't own up to his mistakes either. Instead of fixing them he ran, leaving Ma to deal with it. For fucks sake Tommy, she lives in Maura's guest house because he didn't pay his taxes and lost the house. Ma lost everything and he ran off to Florida with some blonde bimbo"

"Pop has nothing to do with this"

"You're kidding me right? He has everything to do with this. Frankie and I, we're Ma's kids, but you? You're your father's son through and through. Screwing everything up and running from your mistakes" I felt my lips turn into a scowl. "You turned out just like him"

Tommy's scowl deepened, I could see his fists ball and for a moment I thought he was going to ignore my advice. I lifted one hand and beckoned him forward, like Neo in the Matrix, wondering if he was really that stupid. His eyes flicked to my hand, then back up, taking me in. I was standing there relaxed, waiting for him, he could probably see I didn't have the slightest doubt that I could take him easily, after all the sparring with Ana I was confident Tommy didn't stand a chance. As I watched I could see him weighing up his chances; staring into his eyes I could see the exact moment he folded.

"Fuck you Jane" I shook my head, was this what it had come to? Where was the kid he'd been; now all I saw was a punk, full of piss and wind. Finally I spoke, my voice soft and a little sad.

"I love my brothers, Frankie and Tommy. Frankie's the same great guy I knew growing up; Tommy not so much. If you see him, tell him I want my brother back" He forced a snort out.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Tommy was a good kid, messed up a bit, afraid of taking responsibility for his actions, but despite being a screw up, I loved him. You're not him, you're bitter and angry about everything, that you didn't get what you want, everything from living in this house to having Maura"

"That's cause you interfered…"

No it isn't, you screwed up Tommy" I took a step back, waving my arm to take in the house, Boston, his life, everything. "Your entire life's been a string of screw ups"

"You know nothing about me, not since you got so high and goddamned mighty. Made detective, started fucking Maura, moved in here, you forgot about where you came from, forgot all about us, the little people who don't get to live a life of luxury on their girlfriend's tab"

"Tommy..." He sneered, an ugly expression made even uglier on his face.

"Lemme guess, you pay her back, on your back?" I took a step forward, my hands coming up.

"If you mention her name like that again, you'll be leaving with the paramedics" He shook his head, one hand cutting across the space between us.

"You wouldn't do it, you've got your precious reputation to protect" I snorted in disbelief. How much rent was he paying for that dream world he lived in?

"You really think anyone would care Tommy? Given your record and background, no one would believe a word you'd say. That string of minor charges that Frankie's got you off of" I didn't miss the surprise on his face. "Yeah, I know about them, the fights and the drunk and disorderly's, I know" He half turned away.

"You don't know nothing about me"

"I know enough to know you're not the person you once were" I took a step forward, one hand reaching out for him, even as he ignored it. "I want my brother back, the kid I stood up for all through school, the guy I played street ball with, the baby brother I love. You're not him; you're not even a pale shadow. When you find him, call me, I'll be there for him"

"You were never there for me Jane. When they threw me in jail for that accident, where were you?"

"What accident? You were drunk, behind the wheel of a car, you ran down a priest for gods sake"

"It was an accident" I shook my head angrily, not this shit again.

"No it was not. You were twice the legal limit when you got behind that wheel. It wasn't the first time either. You'd been warned before but you still got behind the wheel drunk. The only good thing was you didn't kill him, otherwise you'd be spending most of your life behind bars"

"No thanks to my sister the cop. Too busy to come and speak for me in court"

"To say what, that you were a good kid who'd made a mistake? That'd be a lie Tommy, doing that in court's called perjury" He sneered at me.

"We're family, families do what they have to for family" I just stared him down.

"If it had been a mistake, I would have been there, but it wasn't a mistake was it Tommy? You'd been doing stupid shit and getting away with it for years, finally it came back to bite you on the ass" He waved his hand dismissively at me.

"Yeah, no thanks to you" I folded my arms and stared at him.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"The great Jane Rizzoli, too busy with her career and kissing ass with the cops and the mayor and everyone else who'll help her get her to detective to spend time with her brother. Was I an embarrassment Jane, someone you didn't want to be seen with because it'd hurt your fucking career?" I wondered how he could be so delusional, talk about self-centred.

"No Tommy, I had a job to do and most of your 'new friends' didn't like the cops, remember when you told me not to come round and see you cause it made your new friends 'uncomfortable'? Yeah, you may have forgotten, but I didn't"

"At least they were there"

"So was I Tommy, until you told me not to come around" That still hurt, even after all this time, not that I'd ever let him know that. "How many of those friends of yours are around now?"

"Plenty" He spat back at me. "Still around, not like you"

"Well then why don't you run off and hang out with them instead of wasting my time, I have a plane to catch" He sneered, it wasn't pretty.

"Yeah that'd be right, you ashamed of us Jane? Gotta get back to your new life, far away from your embarrassing family" He waved at me dismissively. "Fuck off out of Boston Jane, you don't belong here and we don't want you here" I shook my head again, he wasn't making sense, but hey, it was Tommy here, common sense was never his thing.

"First you want to know when we're coming back, then you're telling me I don't belong here. Mind you consistency was never a strong suit for you Tommy" He went to say something but I kept on. "You're just pissed that I'm calling you on your crap. The only reason you want us back is so you can delude yourself into thinking that you have any chance whatsoever with Maura" I just shook my head at him. "You will never, ever be anything more than an acquaintance to Maura"

"Why, because you moved her across the country to have her to yourself, you always were a selfish bitch Jane" I felt my lips curl into an evil smile.

"No you idiot, because Maura and I are engaged to be married" The look on his face was priceless, he gaped like a landed fish. Finally he pulled himself together enough to speak.

"Yeah right, bullshit" I just held up my hand showing him the engagement ring, seeing his eyes widen. "Fuck that! You're keeping her in LA to hide her from us and now you're doing this for the same reason"

"Jesus Tommy, how stupid actually are you? Do you honestly think I could force Maura to do anything, let alone move across the country and get engaged? You really are delusional"

"Nah, I reckon you moved her away to keep her all to yourself, afraid that if she stayed she'd see you for what you are"

"And what the fuck is that?"

"A pathetic loser Jane, scared of losing the only person who actually showed any interest in you, so scared you're rushing to get married to keep her" He barked out a laugh. "Well she'll see through you soon enough, see what everyone else does, you're a loser Jane "He turned a shit eating grin on me. "Maura loves cock Jane; look at all those guys she used to fuck. Sooner or later she's gonna decide you're not cutting it for her and she'll go back to fucking guys, getting what you can't give her"

I shook my head, Tommy had always been a weak shit but this was a new low, not to mention he didn't know either of us at all. His shit might have worked on me back before we moved to LA, but I wasn't the same person I was back then and neither was Maura. I went to say something but he spoke again.

"And when she does, I'll be here; I can give her all the cock she needs. She wants Rizzoli cock and I'll be the one to give it to her, I'll be the one fucking her and you'll be all alone, again" He smirked, it looked ugly on him. "I bet she'd look cute on her knees, my cock in her mouth, or face down while I fuck her tight little ass..."

The backhander across his face he didn't see coming knocked him off his feet and sent him spinning. He looked up at me as I forced the red mist over my eyes back under control, staring down at him with anger and contempt. It took a moment but I finally had myself under enough control to speak, though my voice was low and clipped with the white-hot anger coursing through me, my blood pounding in my ears

"I will tell you this once Tommy, if you ever, ever talk about Maura like that again, I will kill you" I smiled as coldly as I could manage. "I'm a homicide detective, I know all the tricks, you'd never be found and even if you were, there wouldn't be enough left to identify"

Tommy rolled to his feet, taking a step back as I advanced on him; he took another step back as I followed him, then another, until he was backed up against the kitchen bench as I hemmed him in. I could see the real fear appear in his eyes as he tried to bluster his way out of it.

"You're bluffing" I shook my head slowly.

"Try me" For a second he stood there, then looked away. Satisfied, I stepped back.

"We're building a new life in Los Angeles. That doesn't mean we won't be visiting Boston though. If you do or say anything stupid or disrespectful of Maura when we do, I will deal with you personally. Do you understand me?" He said nothing as I waited. Finally I ground out the words. "I asked if you understood me Tommy" He tried to muster up some bluster.

"Yeah yeah, fucking whatever" I saw right through the false bravado to the fear underneath.

"In the meantime you might consider just how much growing up you need to do. Until then, get out before I throw you out"

He stood there for a moment, I thought he was going to say something, before he looked at me, really looked, like he was seeing me clearly for the first time, then without a word turned and walked out.

To be honest I was happy to see him go. That flight back to LA couldn't leave fast enough.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N **Standard disclaimers apply: I don't own these characters, their ownership resides with the legal rights holders, I'm just grateful for the opportunity to play with them

**Intersecting Lines Book 2 **

**20 Back to Work**

It's not what you'd expect based on what television and the tourist people tell you, but it does rain in Los Angeles. I'd flown back into LA into a storm front that had drenched LA. I didn't mind though, it was an improvement on the cold in Boston and the gloom sort of matched my mood after Tommy and all his shit.

I'd not wanted Maura to worry, so I'd buried the incident with Tommy, it turned I'd not needed to worry though, she'd practically leapt into my arms when I opened the door and once she finished ravishing my mouth as I stood there in the doorway, she'd dragged me to bed, resulting in an early night and a very long, exhausted sleep, eventually, once Maura was done with me that is.

I'd walked back into work on a sunny Friday morning feeling a lot better about life, getting a few questions from the team about Boston which I downplayed; after all the bad guy went back to jail and the good guys won, at least that's what I told them. Brenda pulled me into her office later that morning to congratulate me on what I'd done in court; I was a bit surprised, until I learnt that Natalie had sent around transcripts of what had happened in there to everyone. Brenda had smiled at me and nodded.

"You did very well in Boston Jane, very well" I shrugged.

"It was the truth" She sat back and regarded me for a moment.

"He was right though, that Judge" I blinked, not understanding. "You would have made a good lawyer" I held up my hand to stop her, embarrassed by her praise.

"I'm happy to leave that stuff to Alex, that sorta thing's not me at all" She nodded slowly.

"Perhaps, but at least it means we get your services here, rather than a courtroom" I nodded.

"Just the way I like it" I looked up. "While I remember it are you and Sharon good for tonight?" We were all heading off to O'Malley's tonight for their trivia competition..

"Oh yes, we're looking forward to it" Nodding I headed back to my desk for a while then did the morning coffee run with Tao and was back going over the latest info on the home invasion case, the guys hadn't turned up much new while I was away, when Brenda strode out of her office, pulling her cherry red trench coat on.

"Excuse me everyone, we've just been notified of another home invasion, so let's get moving"

Forty minutes later and we were out in Gardena, yet another home invasion, similar to the others but different. The same M.O. but the victims didn't fit the pattern, working stiffs rather than well to do upper middle class, there were a few other things off as well.

The door had been smashed in with a battering ram as per usual, but the home invasion crew had basically broken in and shot everyone. There were traces of what looked like methamphetamine on the table and a few 20 and 50 dollar bills scattered around the floor, probably left as they'd fallen into pools of blood and were pretty irrevocably stained, sure as hell no business or bank would take them. It was pretty damned obvious that the victims hadn't exactly been law-abiding citizens, an impression reinforced by the drug paraphernalia littering the room, the baggies, the scales and such.

The house was rented by a man and woman, both Japanese. Nothing out of the ordinary there, this was Gardena after all; lots of Asians including Japanese lived here. What didn't fit was that in addition to the mid-thirties man and woman dead on the floor were three other men, all dead from gunshots. The shots had alarmed the neighbors who had called 911. One of them had seen a UPS van leaving the scene in a hurry; that had been what had triggered the call to Major Crimes.

We fanned out through the house, putting things together, though it all seemed pretty straight forward, the door had been smashed in, the home invasion crew had fanned out through the place, shooting everyone where they'd found them, one guy was dead two steps off the can, his pants still pooled around his ankles.

"This wasn't no extortion attempt" It was Sanchez. "It's an execution" I nodded; they'd killed everyone in the place then grabbed whatever they were after and bolted. Tao leaned back from his examination of the table's contents and looked up at the Chief.

"I can't be certain without a lab analysis, but this sure looks like methamphetamine" He shrugged. "It looks pretty clean too, it may be Cherry Blossom" I looked across at him and asked the question.

"What's Cherry Blossom?" He glanced down at the table and back up.

"That's the street name for imported meth, usually from Japan, real pure, like really pure" Gabriel chimed in.

"Comparing Cherry Blossom to the locally-made stuff's like comparing a diamond to a Swarovski crystal, they may look alike but that's where the similarities end" I nodded, I hadn't worked vice and narcotics for years so I wasn't across the latest street drugs of choice, especially here in LA. Provenza looked up from where he was prowling around the dining room table.

"Japanese mafia doing home invasions, Japanese drugs on the table, looks like we have a definite connection here" Sanchez grimaced.

"Could mean something" Brenda glanced up at him, her voice calm.

"Likely nothing good detective" Before anyone could reply Maura looked up from where she was crouched down next to one of the victims, a guy in his late 30s or early 40s.

"I believe the connection is deeper than it first appears Chief; if I could ask you to observe this victim?" We all turned to see that Maura had unfastened several of his shirt buttons, ignoring the blood that had soaked through, revealing an intricately tattooed torso. Well except where the two shots through the chest had messed up the artwork. "It appears that this victim is a member of the Yakuza, a senior one actually" Brenda frowned at her description as did a few others while I held a smile in, Maura wasn't one for speculation. Brenda made her way over and stood there, looking down at Maura and the victim.

"And how exactly do you figure that Doctor?" Maura smiled at Brenda's query.

"The victim exhibits the same highly decorative tattoo's typical of Yakuza members, for example as seen in the deceased suspect in the previous home invasion, thereby suggesting a Yakuza connection" She pointed to the intricate colours af a dragon winding around the torso. "This victim's tattoo is also done in accordance with the traditions of Irezumi, using ancient tattooing techniques that are specific to Japan and in particular of the more traditional Yakuza clans" Brenda nodded, then spoke.

"How about being a senior member of the Yakuza?" Maura nodded and lifted the victim's left hand, showing that two joints of the pinkie and one joint of the ring finger there were missing.

"Yubitsume, the ritual of severing a joint of a finger as an act of atonement for an error, is specific to the Yakuza. The little finger is the usual one used as in feudal Japan it weakened the Yakuza member's sword hand, increasing their reliance on the Oyabun. Severing the joint was both an apology for failure and an act of more closely tying one's loyalty to the Yakuza group" She turned the hand around, examining it carefully for a few seconds, then looking up at us..

"To have lost three segments of two fingers, indicating three separate acts requiring atonement, but still remain within the Yakuza suggests someone whose service was both significant and valued by the Oyabun. Such a person would have to be trusted and respected enough to remain in service; combined with the intricate tattooing it strongly suggests that the deceased is in fact a senior member of the Yakuza" I hid my grin, I'd learnt long ago, don't question Maura when she states a fact, something Brenda and the others had just been reminded of. Brenda went to speak when one of Maura's team who was over near another victim called out, obviously he'd been listening in.

"Doctor Isles, this victim also has tattoos, plus they're missing a joint" Maura nodded and stood, walking over to examine the body, murmuring a compliment to her team member as she did. A few seconds later she stood and made her way around the other three victims, carefully avoiding the blood pools as she did, checking each before looking up at us.

"Three of the four male victims exhibit Irezumi tattoo's the youngest however does not, nor does the female victim, although that is a non-conclusive indicator of Yakuza involvement or lack thereof as it is extremely unusual for a woman in the Yakuza to receive the Irezumi" An amused female voice entered the room.

"Male chauvinist gangsters, what's the world coming to?" I looked up to see Natalie standing in the doorway, arms crossed, leaning against the doorjamb, smiling and looking nice in a cream pants suits and heels. She shrugged, looking across at Brenda. "Morning Chief, I was out at a meeting when I got the call, sorry I'm late" Brenda acknowledged her presence with a nod.

"That's quite alright Miss Dearing, it would appear that your good work in calming the Asian media was for nought" She grimaced. "I spose I can't keep up putting off those interviews can I?" Natalie nodded once.

"Afraid not Chief' She looked around the room and took in the paraphernalia on the table.

"If these people were involved in Meth sales and distribution that's a different story to another family getting hit, but it still hit an Asian household." She glanced around the room before looking back at Brenda. "I'll talk to you when you're finished about what we can tell the media" Brenda nodded once.

"I take it they're here" She got a wry smile from Nat.

"Afraid so Chief" Brenda's mouth twisted.

"Marvelous. Thank you Natalie" She turned back to Maura. "Thank you Doctor Isles, you can move the victims once Buzz here has finished with recording the scene" Maura nodded as Buzz continued moving around the room, filming everything. Brenda meanwhile was assigning tasks.

"Lieutenant Tao, could I ask you to take charge of the analysis of the substances on the table please. Confirm please what it actually was, in particular if it was Cherry Blossom" Tao nodded as Brenda's eyes fell on another victim. "Lieutenant Flynn, would you chase up our victim's identities please. If as Doctor Isles suggests these were Yakuza, then it raises a number of questions regarding what exactly transpired here" He nodded then cocked his head.

"You thinking it was an internal matter maybe Chief?" Brenda thought it over for a second then nodded.

"Perhaps Lieutenant or perhaps some inter-clan disputes" She narrowed her eyes for a moment then turned back to Maura. "Doctor Isles, I don't spose you could tell if those tattoos are the same style or are of different kind from the deceased suspect?" Maura shook her head sadly as she gracefully stood.

"I am afraid that while there may well be subtle differences between each of the Yakuza clans, my knowledge of them is not sufficient to identify any differences conclusively" She paused for a moment then smiled. "On the other hand I am sure that the Japanese Police would be intimately familiar with such clan-based details" I nodded, it made sense. Brenda smiled and nodded as well.

"I might ask Agent Romanov to make some enquiries about talking to one of their experts" She glanced around the body-strewn room then muttered to herself. "It surely can't hurt" She was quiet for a second then looked up. "In the meantime we have a crime scene to process and work to do. Detective Sanchez, would you please canvas the surrounding neighborhood, see if any of the neighbors noticed anything" Sanchez nodded and made his way out the door as Brenda looked around. "Detective Rizzoli, please talk to Traffic Division and see if they have any leads on the presumably stolen UPS van that departed the scene" She frowned. "It's a long shot I admit but we have to try"

I nodded, seeing several hours of probably fruitless work reviewing traffic camera footage ahead of me, but that's police work for you, mostly dull drudgery looking for scraps of clues.. Brenda meanwhile had found her next victim.

"Lieutenant Provenza, while Detective Flynn is running down the identities of the three unidentified victims, I'd like you to start running down what we know about the couple that rented this house. If that is indeed them there on the floor then we have some kind of starting point for your inquiries" He nodded.

"On it Chief" Buzz looked up from his camera lens and spoke.

"I've finished here Chief" Brenda nodded and looked around.

"Thank you Buzz. Doctor Isles, the bodies are all yours" Maura nodded and turned to her team, getting them moving as the Chief turned to Gabriel. "Sergeant, please conduct a thorough search of the premises for anything of interest, if they were distributing narcotics through here there may be other indicators hidden away" He nodded and turned to head up the corridor as Brenda looked round, seeing me still here, raising her eyebrow in a question.

"Sorry Chief, I'll be right on it, I just need to talk to Maura for a sec" She nodded as Natalie stepped forward, already talking about what they were going to say to the media. Meanwhile I'd walked over to Maura and stood close, getting a smile from her.

"Hello Jane" I smiled back, I couldn't help it really, it's Maura after all.

"Hi Maur, just wanted to remind you that you can't work late tonight, we still have trivia tonight" Her smile widened.

"Of course, please ensure that Brenda and Sharon are there too, if we are not careful they will excuse themselves due to their workload and they need to relax as much as the rest of us" I nodded.

"Will do, see you tonight" She smiled again, the look in her eyes reflecting the warmth of her smile as I quickly bent down and gave her a careful, PG-rated kiss, we were on the clock after all.

"I will see you then. Bye" I nodded and turned, heading out the door, reflecting that Maura was probably right, Brenda would probably lose herself in work if I didn't head her off, seeing her standing there with Nat I had an evil idea, pausing as I passed them, getting both blondes attention as I did.

"Yes detective?" I smiled.

"Just wanted to remind you that we all have trivia tonight?" A quick frown passed across her features.

"I'm not sure I can make it, given the case…" I noticed Natalie's expression change, as I heard Maura's heels coming up behind me; I tried not to let the grin I was feeling out as I prepared to dump her in it.

"That's a shame Chief, after all everyone's been looking forward to seeing you and Sharon join us. Maybe with you there we might do a bit better tonight…" I smiled as I stuck the knife in. "Besides, you need a night off just like the rest of us" Natalie nodded.

"Of course you do, we'd be very disappointed if you couldn't make it, wouldn't we Maura?"

"Indeed we would Natalie, in fact Chief, I believe it was you who told me over lunch on Tuesday how much you were looking forward to it" I took in the expression on Brenda's face as she realised she was trapped between both blondes before I nodded once and beat a hasty retreat. Glancing over my shoulder I caught her narrowed eyes looking after me, before I laughed out loud. She didn't stand a chance against those two, trivia was on for tonight.


	21. Chapter 21

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**21 O'Malley's**

Jane's viewpoint

It was the last Friday night of the month and that meant Trivia Night at O'Malley's, our regular cop watering hole of choice. While we normally entered with just Nat, Ana, Maura and me, we'd managed to corral Brenda and Sharon in as well this time, the normal team size was six and we'd been missing out in some areas, hopefully having them there would cover some of our gaps, giving us a better chance at winning.

We registered, then went and grabbed our steaks and foil-wrapped potatoes to grill over the huge gas range like normal. The place was busy as usual with lots of cops unwinding, also as usual. That translated into a lot of single cops thinking they were god's gift to women, especially beautiful women. More than a few had buzzed around, attracted by the sight of Maura, Natalie and Ana, though they'd mostly been sent on their way with a smile and a laugh. A few however were being unpleasantly persistent, really not taking the hint and rather than Brenda and Sharon having to get involved I'd decided to step in with one of the more persistent offenders.

"Hey, Officer..." He turned and looked me up and down and smiled, he must have liked what he'd seen.

"O'Connor, John O'Connor" I nodded.

"Can I give you a bit of advice John" Without waiting for his response I pressed on. "I know they all look nice..." I nodded at where Natalie, Maura and Brenda stood chatting to Chief Kelso while Ana and Sharon flipped steaks. "But none of them are interested in you" He frowned at me, his ego obviously affronted; you could hear it in his voice.

"What makes you say that?"

"They're all gay" That got me a disgusted eye roll.

"You gotta be kidding me, what a waste" With some effort I restrained myself.

"I wouldn't go that far. Besides, there's two other reasons you shouldn't bother them" He tilted his head to regard me.

"Like what?" I shrugged.

The first is that all of them are senior officers in the Department, either uniformed of civilian. All of them work with Pope, so annoying them with approaches that aren't welcome might be a career-limiting move" He looked skeptical.

"You're joking fight?" He saw my face. "Really?" I nodded.

"A deputy chief, a commander, a Bureau Special Agent plus two senior civilians" I smiled nicely. "I can see that might just go all sorts of wrong" He frowned, his eyes lingering a little too much on Nat and Maura.

"And the other reason?" I let some harshness creep into my voice, drawing his gaze back to me.

"Their partners are all right here, so hitting on them is going to get you tossed out on your ear" At his widened eyes I held up my hand, letting him see the ring.

"Aw no, not you too" I frowned and stepped a little closer.

"Excuse me?" He suddenly seemed to realise that I was taller than him, plus a lot pissed.

"Hey, I didn't mean anything, just an observation was all" I frowned harder and leaned a little closer as he unconsciously leaned back.

"Well 'John', maybe you might want to make your observations someplace else, someplace where I don't have to watch you eying up my fiancé, Capsice?" He was about to say something when I heard a silky alto inject itself into the conversation.

"Hi Jane, I just wanted to let you know your steak's ready, it's starting to overcook" It was Sharon, I turned slightly to see her standing there, one eyebrow lifting as she regarded O'Connor, before introducing herself. "Commander Raydor" I saw O'Connor's eyes widen slightly as he nodded and mumbled his name, before making quick excuses to head back to his friends at the bar. I smiled across at Sharon as her smile changed from her 'work' one to her far more relaxed and happy normal one.

"Thanks" She glanced at his retreating back.

"Some people just don't seem to be all that good at taking a hint, so I thought I might wander by before you had to get physical" I raised an eyebrow.

"Who said it would get physical?" Her chuckle was quick and low.

"Jane, if you'd been any more into his personal space you'd have been standing on him" She shrugged gently. "Ana was all for coming over here to back you up, but I convinced her that I might as well let my reputation work for me for a change"

"Thanks Sharon, I appreciate it" We shared a smile as we wandered back to the grill, while I chewed over what she'd said, about her reputation. It was sad, Sharon was dedicated, honest, compassionate and a damned good friend, it hurt to contemplate just how bad her reputation was with her fellow cops simply because she did her job without fear or favor. Her job was to help preserve the reputation of the force by weeding out the hot heads, the trigger happy and the brutal; we were better off without them, it just did her no favors with the rest of the force.

I was still thinking it over when I got back to the grill, seeing Ana smiling at me as she leaned my way.

"You looked like you were about to go a few rounds with your friend, I was all for joining in but Sharon took away my fun" I nodded and smiled.

"She took care of it with a lot less bloodshed" Ana shrugged as she checked the foil-wrapped potatoes.

"Where's the fun in that?" I took a sip of my beer and nodded.

"Point" We grabbed our dinner and settled in at our table, Nat had taken care of the registrations so we concentrated on enjoying the evening, just winding down from a busy week, not helped in my case by the whole Boston episode. I'd not really discussed all of it with anyone, mostly because I was kinda embarrassed by my brother being such a douche. Maura would have tried to see it from his perspective but I didn't want her to know just how much of a foul-mothed dick he'd been, so I sat on it and tried to put it behind me.

I'd have to tell someone though, maybe Ana, before one of our sparring session, that way I could talk to someone about it, then burn it out of my system with a full on sparring session, she was one of the few people I knew who I'd trust to spar with when I was in a foul mood, she was as good as I was, less reach and strength but she was faster than me, besides we knew each other's moves well enough that I doubt I'd be able to catch her out even if I tried.

Finishing dinner, Ana and I did a drink run to the bar, chatting with a few people she recognised, or who recognised her, before we settled in for the actual competition, just in time as it turned out. The MC, a guy with an outrageously fake Irish accent bounded in dressed in some weird Leprechaun outfit, introduced himself as Seamus O'Malley before he started running us through the standard rules which were pretty simple.

The night was the usual system they'd introduced a few months back. Five rounds of ten questions, one recent change had been you had to nominate one round as your 'Joker' round, worth double points. The five rounds were 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles', 'People and Places', 'Sports' which was a perennial favourite, 'Television shows from the 70s' and 'The Academy Awards'. Kicking it around the group we discussed which would be our joker round and ended up selecting the Academy Awards, 'specially as we all liked our movies. We got ourselves set up with drinks all round and were ready to kick off.

We managed to pull things in quite well on the transport subject, though some of the questions were a bit esoteric. Such as the one asking which rail journey was started by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits? It turned out to be the Orient Express, which Sharon had travelled on when she was travelling in Europe after college.

Another was which car company still in existence was the first to build a working internal combustion engine car, the answer turned out to be Benz, the ancestor of today's Mercedes Benz, Maura got that one as she'd actually read all the brochures and manuals when she got her current car.

Another was what did the DC in DC-3 stand for? Brenda, Maura and Nat all agreed it was Douglas Commercial, which turned out to be right. I kinda thought the questions in this round weren't that hard and maybe we should have made that our double points round but then mentally shrugged; we'd done OK and still had the Joker up our sleeve.

In the end we scored eight out of ten, which put us in contention with everyone who hadn't made it their joker round, three teams had with one of them on eighteen points, we still had our Joker round in hand so we weren't out of contention yet.

The next round was people and places, which was all about connecting famous places with the people who had discovered or popularised them. Ones like the first European explorer to see Victoria Falls. I didn't even know where Victoria Falls was though several of the others knew it was in Africa. Maura was the one to tell us it was on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe and the explorer was David Livingston, the same Livingston immortalized in the famous quote 'Doctor Livingston I presume?' She also pointed out that quote was probably post-event revisionism, some writer making it up for the readers back home.

Another question was about who was the first person to reach the South Pole, Nat and Brenda thought it was an English guy named Scott, 'Scott of the Antarctic', but Ana was pretty sure it was a Norwegian explorer named Roald Amundsen. I'd looked at Maura but got a shake of the head, not even she knew everything. Eventually we ended up going with Scott, given the title, only to find out he'd got there second, a few weeks after Amundsen. He'd died on the way back from the pole, along with most of his expedition, in 1912. As Nat pointed out, he might have come second but he must have had the better publicist.

Some of the others were easier, like who was most famously associated with Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina, Maura, Brenda, Natalie and I were all in agreement that it was Orville and Wilbur Wright and they'd carried out their successful first flight there, another point to us.

Ana got us another point by remembering that Cetawayo was the king of the Zulu army which fought and lost at Rorke's Drift, a famous battle in Southern Africa. Turns out she'd studied the campaign at West Point as a cadet.

The final one of that round had us stumped though, six smart women and none of us had a clue as to who had spent most of his life carving Mount Rushmore, not even a guess, but it turned out to be Gutzon Borglum. In the end despite not answering that last one we'd scraped in with another eight points, which put us on sixteen, trailing the top teams but we'd still had our double point's round in hand. The top placed team after the first round had managed a shocker this round, only getting four points, so they were on 22 points, well off the pace.

Nat and Maura did the next drinks run, while I kept an eye on them, I didn't expect too much trouble in a bar full of cops but I could no more stop looking out for Maura than I could stop breathing. Ana naturally felt the same way as I saw her eyes follow them both to the bar and back. I could see others watching them make their way across the room, but most of the trivia comp regulars knew who they were and who they were with, I may not like them being eyed off, but as long as that was all I couldn't do too much about it.

Sports turned out to be as tricky as usual. Over the month's we'd been doing this comp I'd learned that you could expect six or seven sports questions about American sports with the rest being sport that weren't well known here in the states like soccer or Rugby Union or Hurling or Cricket. I'd actually started watching more international sports to get up to speed; to the point I now followed the fortunes of Manchester United and Real Madrid in soccer, Wales in Rugby Union, County Cork in Hurling, Australia in the Cricket plus plenty of other teams in a wide range of sports.

None of that meant that I'd misplaced my loyalty to the Sox and the Pat's though, I might be in LA but I was Boston born and bred. All of which meant the question about which city was the first to host winning World Series and Superbowl teams in the same year was a complete gimme, Boston in 2004 of course.

The usual Olympic Games question had us scratching our heads, which sport was a demonstration event at the 1988 Olympic Games and became an official medal event at the 2000 games? Brenda smiled at us after we'd beaten our heads against it for a bit, before pointing out that most demonstration sports were local sports and the 1988 Olympic Games had been held in Seoul. That led to a quick discussion about what was one of the only truly Korean sports, making Maura smile as she nodded and confirmed it was Taekwondo, another point to us.

The question about which horse had won the Grand National three times kinda stumped us, till Natalie piped up with Red Rum back in the 70s. It turned out she had an eye for quality thoroughbreds from growing up on a farm, in fact she still had a mare back on the family farm in Wisconsin, as did Ana.

In total we pulled out eight questions again, missing two, one on Lacrosse and the final one on sailing, none of us knew how many countries had held the America's Cup. It turned out to be five England, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland. Ana and Sharon thought the Spanish were in there too, but it turned out the Swiss had defended the cup sailing in Spain. It sounded weird but I didn't know squat about sailing.

That put us on 24 points, which wasn't bad; we were middle of the pack with those who hadn't already used their joker. The double point's thing kept things interesting because it meant a team could suddenly grab up to 20 points from a round, meaning the top teams would never be completely sure if they were in the clear.

The 'Television shows of the 70s' round turned out to be easier than we'd feared, questions like which show had starred Bob Crane in the title role were easy, most of us had Hogan's Heroes on the tip of our tongue. When it came to what role did Sebastian Cabot play in A Family Affair, Maura and Sharon both pegged it as the butler. Sharon remembered it from her childhood while Maura apparently dredged it up from that encyclopedia she keeps hidden between her ears.

None of us had a clue about which British show Reg Varney starred in as a bus driver; I mean who the hell was Reg Varney anyway? Fortunately Brenda guessed it as On the Busses; she'd seen it on television one wet weekend stuck in her hotel in some god-forsaken part of the north of England, to use her description.

We also, along with probably every cop in the place, knew what sort of car Starsky and Hutch drove, a Ford Grand Torino, or Grand Tomato as Brenda described it.

Keeping up the cop show theme, the next question was about another cop show, but remembering the two actors in Adam 12 was a damned sight harder, we got Kent McCord right but guessed Kevin Tighe who was actually in another show, Emergency, missing Martin Millner, with no half points awarded we ended up with a total of nine out of ten for the round. That put us on 33 out of a possible 40 but we were still in the running.

Brenda and Sharon did the drinks run while we waited for the next round to begin as Ana leaned forward.

"I'm glad Sharon and Brenda came, they look like they're having fun" I nodded, they did that. Natalie glanced over to where they were standing at the bar, then back to us.

"Good thing too, Pope's giving Brenda hell over the home invasion case, apparently Councilor Mori's leaning on the Mayor, whose leaning on Pope" She grimaced. "I got that from the Mayor's head media guy, apparently the Mayor needs Mori's vote on some upcoming issues so he's bending over backwards to keep Mori happy" I frowned.

"Let me guess, Mori knows it and is making the most of his leverage right?" Nat nodded.

"Yeah, there's nothing quite as dangerous as a city councillor with a bit of a sniff of power. Anyway, it means Brenda's under a pile of pressure from Pope" Maura frowned, no doubt already mentally editing her schedule for next week to spend a bit more time with both Brenda and Sharon. She nodded slowly.

"It is fortunate then that Alex and Olivia are visiting next week, that should be a very pleasant weekend for us all" There were nods all round, they were good company and both Sharon and Brenda liked them as much as we did. We had a relaxing, low-key weekend planned, something we all needed.

I smiled as Brenda and Sharon weaved their way back through the tables, each carrying several drinks, they were good people and I liked them a lot.

The final round was the big one for us, double points for the Academy Awards. It turned out to be a real bear, full of tough questions, enough so that after the first few I thought we'd made a mistake making it our joker round.

First question up was who made the longest speech in Academy Awards history; fortunately Sharon knew it was Greer Garson for Mrs. Miniver, clocking in at over five minutes. I couldn't imagine standing up on stage talking for two minutes, let alone five. That was two points.

The second was which Director has won the most Oscars. I thought it might have been Spielberg while Nat thought it was Woody Allen. Turned out that while Allan won four Oscars, only one was for directing. It was Ana who told us it was John Ford; she loved his movies and could even name several of his Oscar movies including The Grapes of Wrath and How Green was my Valley, which meant another two points to us.

Brenda loved music soundtracks so she got the next one; Alfred Newman had won nine Oscars for best score, who came second with five? She immediately picked John Williams, surprisingly even though they're some of his best known music none of the Star Wars movies won. Three from three was a good start.

The next question had everyone else stumped for a moment; which movie won every category of Academy Award it was nominated for? Fortunately though I love Tolkien even if I don't talk about it much, so I could confirm it was the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. I remembered watching the awards night and cheering every time they won. That was back in the pre-Maura days when I lived on my own and didn't embarrass myself in front of her by cheering every win like the Sox hitting a home run. That made it four out of four.

The fifth question was apparently easy, which woman won the most Oscars, we started arguing different actresses, but Maura just smiled enigmatically and reached out for the scoring sheet, writing Edith Head on the line. I'd never heard of her and neither had anyone else but Maura explained that she was a movie costume designer and had won a pile of Oscars for her work. It figures that Maura would know all about costume designers, but either way I wasn't arguing, five out of five.

The next one had us all stumped though, which man won four Oscars in the same year. We argued round and round without coming to an answer, it turned out to be Walt Disney who won four in 1954 and he'd also won the most Oscars, 22 in all. That cost us two points and gave us five out of six.

Question seven was a tough one, who was the youngest actor to win an Oscar, winning it in her debut film? It turned out to be Tatum O'Neill in Paper Moon, fortunately Nat's mum loved the movie and so she'd been forced to watch it a couple of times growing up and remembered that she'd won an Oscar for it. It sounded a bit like a guess but we'd eventually agreed and it turned out to be right, getting a hugely relieved grin from Nat. That made us six out of seven.

Brenda, Maura and Nat were all certain the first posthumous Oscar went to actor Peter Finch for a movie called Network, Nat told us she remembered it because it was a movie about a TV journalist, Sharon because of the scene where he throws a window open and screams "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more" and Brenda because of the psychological manipulation of the character by his boss, all in the name of ratings. Three very different reasons but they were all valid, as was the answer. Seven out of eight and we were in with a chance.

The next one had us grasping, we had to name two out of three movies that had won the top five awards for best picture, director, actor, actress, and screenplay. We finally agreed that one of them was One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, but the other two had us stumped. We tossed titles around before Maura suggested Silence of the Lambs. Brenda and Ana immediately jumped on the bandwagon for that one, given their backgrounds as interrogator and Bureau agent I could see why. Sharon wasn't sure, Nat was skeptical and I didn't have a clue, but in the absence of any better suggestion we mentally crossed our fingers and put that down on the sheet. Turns out they were right, together with another movie I'd never heard of called It Happened One Night. That scraped us in with eight out of nine and we were all pretty excited, we really felt like we were a really good chance.

The final question was one that sent a chill up my spine as soon as everyone at the table turned to look at me. Name six sports movies that have taken home an Oscar in any category. It wasn't helped when Nat pushed the pen and answer sheet towards me either. Thanks Nat, no pressure, none at all.

Some were easy. Rocky and The Fighter and Raging Bull were easy gets. Maura contributed Chariots of Fire about Olympic runners while Sharon reminded me that Million Dollar baby was about a boxer and had won, so that made five. Ana added Jerry Maguire, where Tom Cruise was a footballer's agent. It seemed a long shot but for lack of anything else it got added, leaving us grasping for another one. I had a feeling that the baseball epic Field of Dreams had won and was about to put it down when I had a second thought. I knew some movie with baseball had to have won an Oscar, but was it Field of Dreams or something else?

None of the others were sure, pushing the pressure back on me, I was about to give up and go with Field of Dreams when Brenda asked me who they would have made a movie about, Babe Ruth? The others started adding new names, names like Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays and Mikey Mantle when I suddenly smiled, holding up my hand.

"Who was the greatest player ever, even though he played for the Yankee's?" It was Ana who got it, nodding as she spoke, keeping her voice down.

"The Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig" I nodded.

"Exactly, I remember they made a movie about him. Can anyone remember what it was called?" There was silence for a moment, before Brenda looked up.

"Yankee's something, he played for them" I nodded as Maura leaned forward.

"Jane, can you remember who played him in the movie?" I chewed my lip for a moment as I heard the O'Malley character telling us to finish up. Ignoring him for the time being I wracked my brain, before I remembered the speech he'd made on retirement, the one about being the luckiest man in the world. I could hear it in my head, in the voice of…

"Gary Cooper! It was Gary Cooper" There was a quick round of glances as I nodded. "Gary Cooper, in Pride of the Yankee's" Nat quickly grabbed the score sheet and wrote out our answer as Seamus O'Malley's assistant came by to collect it, finishing it off just as she reached our table, taking it with a smile. There was a quick round of congratulations as we were handed another team's score sheet, before we ticked off their answers as they were read out. This team hadn't done so well, only getting six answers, while we were certain we'd got nine answers right, worth eighteen points in total. That should put us on 51 points out of a possible 60, which we guessed had us up there with the leaders.

All the score sheets were handed in and we waited as the leprechaun kept the night going while his people tallied up the scores; I was surprised to see almost no one leaving, I didn't realise so many people were invested in seeing someone beat the team of bankers, apparently they'd ruled the roost for too long and the cops who made up the majority of the teams were rooting for someone to knock them off their perch.

Finally Seamus or whatever his name really was started reading out the scores from low to high, letting the tension rack up as he climbed to the last two. The LAPD's IT geek team came in fourth on 47, teachers from a local high school snuck in and beat them by a point, leaving us and the bankers left and everyone was watching us both. I could see other cops nodding and lifting glasses our way in 'good luck' gestures as he drew it out.

"And finally, we have the two remaining teams, reigning champions the Wall Street Wannabe's and the challengers, the… L.O.L.A.L.E." He spelled it out and then looked out over the room. "What the hell does that mean?" Natalie looked his way and raised her voice.

"Ladies of Los Angeles Law Enforcement" He looked our way and you could see him taking us all in.

"You're all cops?" He laughed. "Which TV show?" I didn't like his insinuation but before anyone could speak a voice called out from another table full of cops.

"They're real cops, you dumbass" There was a scattered chorus of cheers at his words, Seamus suddenly realising he might have put his foot in it in front of a room full of cops as he rapidly started backpedalling.

"Wow, the last cop who gave me a ticket looked nothing like you guys" He looked around the room and forced a smile. "Anyway, I have the final points total here and on 51 points, we have the beautiful women of Los Angeles law enforcement" He sketched a bow in our direction, raising a cheer from all the cops around the pub.

"Our perennial champions, the Wall Street Wannabe's had a great night, as always" I could hear the glum muttering start around the room, as people anticipated the bad news. "But not quite good enough, scoring 50 points and making our lovely ladies the winners!" We looked around at each other as the room erupted in cheers, it slowly sank in, we'd done it. Next second I was being hugged by an excited Maura who was almost bouncing up and down, before a kiss settled us both down. I looked up to see the others celebrating the same way, before we started exchanging hugs back and forward between us.

Next second there was a gentle slap on the back as a patrol officer I didn't recognise congratulated me, then another officer, a motorcycle cop from a regular trivia night team was shaking my hand, in seconds we were engulfed ina sea of cops all congratulating us, it didn't escape me that Sharon was being congratulated just as much as the rest of us, taking in her slightly bemused smile with an even wider smile of my own.

Finally it calmed down a bit and we were called up to the front of the room to receive our prize, a $150 food and drink voucher. There were even more cheers from the as we made our way through the tables, before the Wall Street Wannabe's, the team of bankers, all stood up as we moved past their table. They all nodded and one of them held his hand out, shaking each of us in turn as they congratulated us on the win.

"Hope you'll be back next month, we'd like to win our title back again" We smiled and laughed as Nat promised him we'd be back, rain, hail or shine. They nodded and sat down as we made our way up to receive our voucher, before we got another round of applause from everyone there, even the cops at the bar who hadn't been in the competition.

Finally we managed to wrap up and made our way towards the exit and outside, collecting the last of the well wishes before escaping into the cool air outside. I looked round at everyone, seeing everyone doing the same. Nat snuggled up to Ana and smiled around at us before looking over at where Brenda and Sharon were standing there, holding hands.

"Wasn't that worth coming out on a Friday night then?" They exchanged a glance before Brenda nodded.

"It was fun, we both had fun" Sharon nodded in agreement.

"It was really nice" Ana looked round at us all then grinned.

"Then we're on again next month" I saw Brenda go to say something, probably something about being unable to commit to anything, but I got in first.

"This is our first win, you can't break up the team now, we're defending champs so we've got to hold onto our title" Sharon nodded slowly as Nat spoke.

"Yeah, you're our good luck charms, you can't pull out now" Maura smiled and piled in as well.

"They are indeed correct, without your help we would have not had enough points to win; obviously your participation is essential to the team's success" They exchanged another glance, nodding at each other before Sharon smiled.

"While we can't be certain we'll available, if we're free, we'll be here" There were smiles all round at her words as we wrapped up with hugs before we made our separate ways into the night.

Maura looked up at me from where she was happily tucked under my arm, her arm around my waist as we walked towards her Merc.

"I had fun Jane, I'm glad they were with us" I smiled down at her and nodded.

"Me too" She glanced up at me and smiled.

"You did very well tonight Jane, particularly on the sport-related questions" I nodded.

"Isn't that why you keep me around?" She pulled a small face, before it dissolved into a smile.

"Well, not just the only reason" Her smile turned a little wicked as she pulled me just a little closer. "I think you deserve a reward for being so good" I felt her words, delivered in that sultry teasing tone she uses on me when she's feeling a little naughty, set my nerves buzzing as I looked at her, appreciating my good fortune all over again.

"Oh really, and what sort of prize would that be?" Her voice slowed down a bit, teasingly slow.

"How about anything…you…want…" I looked down at her and smiled, though it was probably a little too feral and hungry, it made her eyes narrow though.

"I might have something in mind" She nodded slowly, playing a little with me.

"And what might that be?" I leaned in and gave her a kiss, pushing it and slipping my tongue in, getting an equally eager response. I finally pulled back, seeing her a little flushed and feeling a real sense of accomplishment in still being able to do that to her after being together for over a year.

"The sooner we get home the sooner you find out"

Our subsequent trip home was remarkably fast, even for Maura, but I wasn't in any mind to complain, not when I got my reward.

**A/N** Many of the questions here come from the trivia comp I take part in, it's got a reputation for being a tough one and we don't have a Maura or a Jane on our team :(


	22. Chapter 22

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**22 ****Awkward Interludes**

Brenda's viewpoint

The ride back to my place was nice; Sharon giving me a lift after my car had died in the parking garage again. This was the second time in as many months and I was kinda hoping this time I might get to swap the Crown Vic for something new, one of those nice new Caprice cruisers the LAPD was bringing into service looked good. Almost anything had to be better than the old Crown Victoria's we used; they drove like tanks and rode the same way.

Mind you, I was toying with getting a personal car too. On one hand I'd been really impressed with Sharon's BMW convertible, plus Natalie's old MGB was a cute ride, even if it felt a little small. I couldn't afford a Mercedes like Maura but something smaller would be good. I hadn't ever really contemplated a personal car here in LA before; I'd had the work car and had been so wrapped up in my job that I hadn't really considered the need for my own car. You couldn't take the cruisers out of LA though, so if Sharon and I were going to be getting away on weekends like we'd been talking about, then I needed another car.

On the other hand though, we had Sharon's BMW and maybe a second car was a waste, after all, I could see us moving in together sooner rather than later, which would kinda make the point moot. We'd chatted about it, but agreed we didn't want to be that 'U-Haul lesbian' cliché thing, I'd never heard the expression before but Sharon had and after having it explained to me I'd agreed that we'd take our time before making that kinda move.

So here I was on a Thursday night getting a drop off from her at my place, she had a pile of work to do, reviewing and updating the Department's code of conduct yet again, this time it was social media policy, guidelines for officers bloggin' and tweetin' about their jobs, there were worries about it being prejudicial to trials, so she'd been working on it with Natalie on and off for the last two weeks.

I'd offered to come over and 'help' but she'd just smirked and told me that if I'd come over she'd never get anything done, making me smile, she was probably right. Arriving at my place we sat in the car for a minute or two, just kissing, before I reluctantly got out, walking round to the driver's side and leaning in to kiss her goodbye.

I love so much about Sharon but her kisses are special, they're tender and soft and she gives herself to me completely in them, I could lose myself in her kisses for hours, they really were just for me and I cherished them. Finally I let her go, laughing at her promise to pick me up tomorrow and that we could spend the night together then. I'd even brought home my squad's performance management paperwork to get it out of the way so I could spend more time with Sharon and the girls over the weekend.

This weekend was going to be busy; Alex and Olivia were arriving tomorrow night for the weekend, so we were planning an afternoon by the pool at Maura's on Saturday, out for dinner and a movie that night, plus we'd have them all over for lunch at Sharon's on Sunday. It was a low key weekend but still something we were looking forward to, they were great company and good friends and we were both anticipating a fun weekend.

I stood there and watched her drive off, a silly smile on my face; I really was head over heels in love with her and couldn't be happier, my life had turned around so much in the last few months, I could barely believe it, all because of the love of a beautiful woman and our wonderful friends.

I walked into my condo block with a smile, which lasted right up till I opened the door to the foyer and found myself face to face with almost the last person I wanted to see here, my momma.

"Momma, what are you doing here" I took in the shocked expression on her face and realised that she must have seen Sharon and me together. '_Oh my god no_', I really didn't want to have to deal with this, not now. Not ever actually.

My stomach dropped as momma's face settled into an expression I recognised, she was determined to do something and woe betide anyone who got in her way, all my life people have been telling me I got my stubbornness from her and they were right.

"Brenda Leigh, I know that things haven't been right for a while and I came to set things right" I had a momentary flash about how I didn't want things to be her kind of right, not anymore, but wisely kept that thought to myself. "I certainly didn't expect to see that!" She made a vague wave towards the door and the driveway. "What in heaven's name is going on?"

I sighed, I didn't want to have this conversation and definitely not in the foyer of my building. I walked over and took her arm.

"C'mon momma, if were gonna talk we might as well do it someplace private" She pulled her arm from my grasp and went to pick up her suitcase, but I just frowned and picked it up, leading the way up to my place. Once inside I dropped my bag on the dining table, placed her suitcase on the floor next to it and sighed before heading over to the kitchen bench and starting the jug for some hot water, god knows I was going to need a coffee to deal with this.

I'd briefly considered a really big glass of merlot, but I needed to be sober to deal with a pissed off Willie Rae Johnson. I turned to see momma standing there watching me.

"Do you want a coffee momma, lord knows I do" She stood there, her lips pursed, finally shaking her head.

"No thank you, but do you have any tea?" From the questioning tone in her voice she probably didn't expect much but I just nodded, pulling open a drawer holding the big wooden box of Twining's teas inside, I'd bought it not long after Sharon started staying over, she'd said a herbal tea helped her to wind down after a hard day.

"We have an assortment, Earl Grey, Prince of Wales, chamomile; lemon and ginger; blackcurrant; ginseng and vanilla; peppermint; lemon twist or chamomile and spearmint. Which would you like?" I glanced up to see a look of surprise briefly pass over her.

"Chamomile and spearmint please" That would be momma, she might be still working on what she'd seen, but she would be polite about it, no matter what. As I waited for the water to boil, I turned to the bench, pulling out the coffee, honey and two cups and spooning the coffee into a cup. Finally running out of delaying tactics I spoke, still facing the bench.

"I didn't know you were coming, I wish you'd have rung, if I'd caught a case you could have been sitting there till heaven only knows how late" Her voice came from the same place behind me.

"I rang your office when my flight got in, but they told me you had gone home, so I came straight here. I was surprised you were going home so early" The jug boiling saved me from having to make an immediate reply. I poured out her tea and my coffee, adding honey to sweeten mine up, before finally turning round, she was still standing in the same spot. I walked over and handed her the tea before walking past towards the sofas.

"Might as well make yourself comfortable" She nodded and walked over to the other sofa, sitting facing me. I stared into my coffee cup for a moment, mulling what I was going to say, I never really wanted to be having this conversation, I suppose the only good thing was that daddy wasn't here, that would have been a complete catastrophe rather than simply the disaster I was facing now.

"I'm waiting Brenda Leigh" I looked up at her.

"What do you want to hear momma?" Her face got a 'what do you think' expression as I waited her out, before her lips quirked in annoyance and she spoke.

"An explanation for what I saw outside would be a good starting point" I sighed, might as well go in boots and all.

"I was kissing my girlfriend goodbye after she was kind enough to drop me home after my car broke down" She looked appalled.

"Your girlfriend?"

"I don't make it a habit to kiss random strangers, so yes that was my girlfriend" Momma sat forward.

"What in the world has gotten into you child, are you feverish?" I rolled my eyes. '_Only my momma..._'

"No I am not feverish, for god's sake momma, I'm almost fifty, not fifteen"

"Then what was that all about then?"

"I have a girlfriend, someone I care very deeply about and who cares for me, that kinda qualifies her to be my girlfriend"

"But what about Fritz, he's your husband"

"Soon to be ex-husband and what about him momma, he walked out on me"

"But you love him"

"Loved momma; past tense. He spent more than a year emotionally blackmailing me into giving up my career, my life, my self-esteem, to be what he wanted; he didn't give a damn what was happening to me, even though I was going through hell at work" I put my coffee down on the table a little hard; I still got angry about the subject of Fritz Howard.

"In fact I've since learned he was telling some people in the Bureau that all the shi… stuff I was going through at work was great because I'd get fired and I could be a stay at home housewife and mother"

"Well, children require a commitment Brenda Leigh; you need to be committed to them"

"That's just it momma, that was his commitment, not mine, he didn't care what I had to give up to make him happy, never the other way round. He wanted kids, I wanted to be doing something meaningful, something important, what I do is important, but that didn't mean a pinch of beans to him"

"But to take up with a woman, what were you thinking?" I unconsciously smiled.

"It was a surprise to me too momma, I'd never even considered it, but it kinda happened" Momma pursed her lips in disapproval.

"How did it 'kinda happen' Brenda, I'm struggling to understand you"

"I met some people at work, they were in relationships with other women, they were happy, normal, lovely people and their partners were too. They had happiness and love and a life together, it just so happened that the person they loved was a woman. It wasn't like they went out looking for it, it was just that the person they fell in love with was a woman"

"But Brenda, you've been married, you're not…"

"Gay? Homosexual?" I shrugged. "I prefer lesbian, but at the end of the day they're labels" Her expression veered between shocked and appalled.

"But we raised you right, what's happened to you?" I looked down into my coffee for a moment before looking up at her, speaking the plain and honest truth.

"I got happy momma. I know it's strange; it took me two marriages, both to the wrong men, to find someone to be happy with"

"But a woman, my god Brenda, what are you doing?" I frowned at her tone.

"Yeah, it wasn't what I expected, but she's wonderful, she loves me and I love her"

"Love her? Brenda Leigh, how can you love a woman, that's wrong" I sighed.

"Who gets to say it's wrong, the church? Let's be honest, they haven't exactly covered themselves in glory in recent decades, their moral authority to tell anyone what's right and wrong's kinda vanished" Momma's rapidly building head of moral indignation sort of lost steam when I started throwing her own thoughts back at her. She'd been shaken by some of the things that members of the church had been exposed doing in recent years.

"But…" I shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's legal throughout the country, in some places we can marry, in others it's called a civil ceremony, but it's not illegal anywhere" She looked aghast.

"Marriage…?" I held up my hand to stop her.

"I'm not planning on getting married again momma and neither is Sharon, we've both been down that path before" For a moment I was struck by an image and my breath caught, Sharon in a flowing white dress on a sunny beach somewhere with flowers in her hair, I'd never even considered it but she'd be a beautiful bride…

"Sharon? Are you talking 'bout Sharon Raydor?" Momma's voice brought me back to reality. '_Oops_'. Ah well, now the cat's outta the bag there's nothing for it now but to take the bull by the horns, never let it be said I couldn't mix metaphors with the best of them.

"As a matter of fact I am momma. Sharon is my girlfriend" Momma shook her head.

"But she… She's got children, she showed me the pictures last time I was out here, she can't be gay" I sighed.

"Momma, Sharon's been married and it didn't work out. She's had a girlfriend before and that didn't work out either, the jobs we do are hard on relationships" I laughed humourlessly. "I can attest to that"

"But if you've both been married, you can't be…" I snorted as I put my cup down on the coffee table.

"Yes we can momma. The technical term is bisexual, people who sleep with both men and women. Sharon's had a husband and a long term girlfriend before, I've had two husbands and now I have a girlfriend so I suppose you could call me bisexual too" I shrugged. "It is what it is" Momma looked like she was finally getting a handle on the situation, or so she thought.

"So this is just some silly fling thing till the right man comes along then?" I fell back in the seat, stunned. I took a deep breath and stamped down on the anger that had flashed through me, Sharon; a fling? The thought alone was stupid.

"Good God momma, of course not!" I shook my head like I could shake off the whole idiot notion.

"Then what is it Brenda Leigh, cause I'm surely confused trying to understand you" I took a breath to calm myself down.

"It's all really simple momma, I was lonely and alone after Fritz stomped out of here, I could have gone out and tried dating again, after all that's worked out so wonderfully well so far. Instead I ended up with a gorgeous girlfriend who understands what I do and doesn't try and make me something I'm not" I frowned for a moment, reflecting on what I'd said.

"I was wrong before, bisexual's really a term for people who sleep with men and woman equally. Sharon and I aren't looking to do that anymore, we're monogamous so I suppose lesbian fits" I nodded once. "That's what we are if you want to put a label on us"

"But how can you even do that with a woman?" I sat there and thought about what I was going to say for a moment, contemplating the right answer I could give to that question; I found myself desperately trying to hide a wicked smile as I had an evil thought.

"Well, it usually starts with us getting naked, in bed, or the shower, or the couch, or pretty much anywhere a little private. We start with kissing before moving down each other's…" Momma's voice was a shocked shout, her eyes wide.

"BRENDA LEIGH!" I tried to sound innocent, though I don't think I was too successful.

"Yes momma?"

"I don't want to know about those things"

"Well you did ask" She rolled her eyes at me.

"I didn't mean that. I meant how can you turn your back on everything, change like this?" I shrugged again.

"Easy momma, I'm really happy, for the first time in many years I am really, really happy"

"But a woman…" I tried another tack.

"Momma, look around, what do you see?" I waved my arm around the apartment and watched and waited as she looked around.

"I don't know Brenda, what am I looking for?" I smiled.

"Momma, every place I've ever lived in, the first thing you've said on visiting is that I should make more effort to keep my house clean" I gestured around the almost spotless apartment. "This alone should tell you something" Momma looked confused.

"Well Brenda Leigh, what are you trying to say?" I felt my smile widen.

"That I'm happy, for the first time in a very, very long time I'm really, really happy. Sharon makes me happy; with her I don't have to hide who I am and just being with her makes me want to be a better person. That's a whole hell of a lot more than Fritz or that ass Dave ever did" Momma just sat there, looking at me, obviously trying to take it all in. I stretched, I was tired and I needed to get out of my work clothes.

"I'm going to get changed momma, I'll put your bag in the other bedroom" I stood up and grabbed her bag, walking down the hall and putting her bag on the bed. There was nothing particularly incriminating in this room at least, though I couldn't say the same for the bathroom or my bedroom.

I dashed into the bathroom and grabbed the Pipedream fingertip vibrator sitting on the shelf in the shower where we'd left it the other morning. Having a quick look around, there were some of Sharon's cosmetics and cleansers and shampoos and the like, but nothing else out of the ordinary or too incriminating. I did a quick look round the bedroom, but the rest of the toys were in the bottom drawer of the bedside table, so I dumped the Pipedream in there with the rest and checked under the bed and elsewhere. There were some perfumes and stuff on the dresser but the only real evidence was a double picture frame on the bedside table, I picked it up and looked at it, a smile breaking out.

One shot was of the two of us standing together taken at the LAPD Ball a few months back, me in that gorgeous blue sheath and Sharon in that amazing Versace chocolate brown gown; the second was the two of us out at Blush with the girls about a month later. Alex and Olivia had been visiting that weekend and we'd all headed out to Blush for the club's little black dress night, Natalie had got us to pose for some shots but this one had been candid.

We were standing side by side glancing at each other out of the corners of our eyes and the looks on our faces could only be described as happily mischievous. Sharon had just leaned in and told me what she was going to do to me when she got me alone, to which I'd replied that if she was that eager, why wait? We'd actually left about twenty minutes later, with Sharon backing me up against the side of her BMW and feeling me up so very nicely as we made out before a very quick trip home to bed.

I loved that shot; it summed up all our relationship was in one image. If momma saw it, so what; it said everything about us, happy and playful and gentle and honest all in one shot.

Looking at it, I realised I needed to let Sharon know what was happening. Dashing back into the lounge room, I saw momma was in the kitchen rinsing her cup in the sink so I fished my phone out of my bag and headed back into my bedroom; speed dialing Sharon's cell, fortunately she picked up on the second ring

"Hi honey, miss me already?" There was smile in her voice, but the line was a bit hollow, she was probably still in the car and using the hands free.

"Hey sweetie, I had a visitor waiting for me when I got inside, my momma" There was a pause on the other end of the line so I finished the story. "She saw us Sharon" There was an underlying sound of panic in Sharon's normally silky alto.

"Oh god, are you ok Brenda?" I shrugged, even though she couldn't see it.

"Yeah, I suppose. I'm having 'The Talk' with her now"

"I'm turning the car round now; I'll be there soon as I can"

"No Sharon, don't" the call carried the surprise in Sharon's voice through clearly.

"Are you sure? You shouldn't have to go through this alone" I smiled, that was Sharon, there for me when I needed her.

"I think so. At least she's still here; she hasn't run screaming out into the streets or excommunicated me yet" Sharon's voice was full of her worry and concern.

"We're in this together honey; I think I need to be there for you, it's not fair that you have to go through this alone" My smile widened, all the reasons I loved Sharon wrapped up in one sentence.

"Sharon, I love you, you know that, for most things I'd want you with me, but this time, well I need to try and put this to rest once and for all and I can do that better when it's just the two of us here" I could hear the doubt in her voice.

"You sure about this, I can still come over"

"No, you get your work done and I'll try and talk momma off the ledge" I smiled. "I'll call you in a few hours and let you know how it went"

"I'll try but I don't know how productive I'll be when I'm worrying about you. You promise you'll call me no matter what Brenda, no matter how late"

"I promise I'll call, but try not to fret. I love you Sharon, you're the only thing that matters"

"The same goes for me too, I love you Brenda" There was a pause. "Good luck"

"Thanks, I hope I don't need it. Love you too." I ended the call and tossed the phone on the bed, then got changed into dark blue skinny jeans, a loose peach-coloured cashmere sweater that hung off one shoulder and black ballet flats, putting my hair up in a ponytail. The sweater was actually one of Sharon's, left from the last night she'd stayed here. It was soft and warm and lovely and I was wearing it because it carried her scent, it felt like she was here with me.

Running out of excuses to delay the inevitable I wandered back out into the lounge room to find momma looking at a picture on the bookcase. It was the one taken after Jane had proposed to Maura on New Year's Eve; Jane and Maura sitting in the centre, holding hands, that gorgeous ring on display, with Alex and Liv behind them, Nat and Ana to one side and Sharon and I on the other, all of us our with arms around each other, linking us all together as a tight knot of really happy people.

As I stood there, I could see momma chewing her bottom lip, staring at the picture for a long time, before finally setting it back and turning round, starting a bit when she saw me there leaning in the doorway. She frowned a little, taking in my clothes; they weren't my normal style, reflecting some of the things Sharon wore.

"Are you hungry momma? I doubt you ate on the plane and I'm about to fix some dinner" She nodded slowly.

"I suppose I am" I walked over to the kitchen as she followed, standing on the other side of the island and watching while I pulled out the makings of Apricot Chicken. I liked the taste and it was really easy to do. Looking up she was still standing there watching so I gestured to a stool.

"Might as well sit momma, this will take a little while" She nodded and moved to a stool, sitting there watching me move round the kitchen. Finally her curiosity got the better of her.

"What are you making Brenda Leigh?" I shrugged.

"Apricot Chicken, it's an Oriental dish but really nice" She nodded slowly, watching as I retrieved the leftover half of a barbeque chicken from the fridge and started shredding the meat.

"I didn't know you can cook exotic dishes" I shrugged.

"It's not that difficult momma, I learned from a friend of mine who's a really good cook. It's quick and easy and really filling" She nodded slowly before speaking, a bit hesitant.

"Was that… Sharon?" I shook my head, smiling slightly.

"No, Anastasia, the really pretty brunette on the left side of that picture you were looking at inside" I'd actually asked her and Maura for a couple of recipes that were simple enough so I could cook for Sharon. They'd each come up with a couple of what they called 'Brenda-proof' recipes, Apricot Chicken being one of them.

"That picture…" I looked up at her, raising an eyebrow but she seemed unable to complete the sentence.

"It was taken last New Year's Eve momma. I spent it with my friends at a party down in Santa Monica. It was a really good night"

"Are they all…?" I raised an eyebrow from where I was straining the apricot halves from their juice and setting both aside for later.

"Gay? Yes momma, they are" I paused to look her straight in the eye, our friends were really, really important to both Sharon and I. "Anastasia and her partner Natalie, they're the couple on the left; they work for the FBI and the LAPD. The back couple is Alex and Olivia; they're a New York District Attorney and NYPD detective, they're friends of Jane and Maura, the couple in the centre. Maura's the Medical Examiner for the LAPD and Jane is one of my detectives in Major Crimes" I smiled in memory of what had been a magical night.

"Jane had just proposed to Maura not long before that photo was taken, it was really lovely" Momma's lips had gone all pursed again, no doubt she disapproved. Mentally I shrugged; '_too bad_'.

"So these are the sort of people you're keeping company with now Brenda Leigh?" I frowned at her judgemental tone, before turning away to pull out a deep dish saucepan. Placing it on the stove top I looked back at her.

"Yes they are momma. We go round to their places and have lunch or dinner, they come round here or Sharon's for the same, we go out together for nights out, spend time together shopping or catching up or playing tennis or what not and generally doing the sort of things friends do" I looked up from where I was fishing out the electric rice maker. "Am I not supposed to have friend's momma?"

"These people, they've led you astray…" Setting the rice maker down on the bench I put my hands on my hips and stared at her.

"Oh for heaven's sake, I'm a grown woman momma; I'm old enough to make my own mistakes. I have twice, both times with your blessing as I recall" That particular barb sank in; I saw her blush at that. "You thought Dave was a 'wonderful man' as you put it" I used air quotes for emphasis. "As for Fritz, you thought he was 'perfect' so your batting record's no better than mine there" She shook her head, trying to deflect me.

"But they were men, maybe not the right men for you, but you're supposed to be with a man Brenda, not a woman, it's wrong" I felt my anger rise at her words, busying myself with fishing out the rice canister and using the measure inside to dole out enough rice for two people into the rice maker. Screwing the lid back down, along with my temper I looked across the bench at her.

"There's nothing wrong with what Sharon and I have. I love her and she loves me. She doesn't try and change me and I don't try and change her, we love each other the way we are"

"But it's wrong Brenda, can't you see that?" I stomped down on the first response that came to mind, I'd already decided getting into a flaming row wouldn't help either of us, so I was working on facts and logic. I turned to put the rice away and get out two French onion soup mix packets from the pantry. Turning back I frowned.

"Frankly no, I can't. I'm happy for the first time in years. Apparently you can't see that though. I'd kinda hoped you'd be happy that your daughter is happy, in love, keeping the sort of house you've always told me I should, spending time away from work being happy and generally doing all the sort of things you've been nagging me about for longer than I care to recall" I used a measuring jug to get several cups of water to go into the rice maker before putting the lid on and turning it on. Looking up I saw her looking back at me. "Momma, you keep telling me it's wrong. Exactly how is it wrong? It's not illegal; it's hardly immoral, not any more. Why, you tell me you watch Ellen and you've told me her wife Portia is beautiful so you obviously don't have a problem with lesbians. So what exactly is it that's so wrong with what I'm doing?" She frowned at me.

"But that's Hollywood Brenda, it's not real. You've been out here so long it's changed you. You wouldn't have even considered such a thing when you were living back home" I shrugged, stopping to thinking about it for a moment. Eventually I nodded at her once.

"Maybe, maybe not, if the situation was the same, if it was Sharon, I'd like to think I'd be open minded enough to consider it" I chewed my lip for a moment. "After all, we're all looking for someone to make us happy, someone to love and have love us back. If it had happened back east and it was someone like Sharon, I'd like to think I'd be honest and open enough to consider it" I looked up at momma and gave her a smile. "Otherwise I'd be missing out on someone who is everything I want and who makes me want to be a better person for them"

I waited a few seconds but she said nothing, so I turned to the stove and poured the juice from the jar of apricot halves and the French onion soup packet mixes together in the saucepan and stirred it together, making sure it was on a low heat.

Through it all momma sat there, watching me move around the kitchen. I don't know if it was because she didn't know what to say or she was still in shock that I was cooking and not setting fire to the kitchen. I wandered over to the fridge and got out the jug of cold water and poured out two glasses, sliding one in front of her before putting the jug back, then turning back to the chicken, slicing the larger chicken pieces into smaller fork-sized morsels before pausing to glance up at her.

"I'm still waiting momma, what is actually wrong with what I'm doing?" I was actually wondering if she expected I'd be panic stricken, acting like I'd been caught out doing something wrong. If so she was going to be very disappointed, I didn't feel Sharon and I had anything shameful to hide; we were both adults, we'd made an adult decision and we'd face the consequences of our actions together. Besides, how could something that made us both so happy be wrong? Finally momma looked up from where she'd been staring at my hands as I worked.

"It's like I don't know you at all" I shrugged.

"Nothing much has changed really. I'm still much the same person I was before" I tilted my head to regard her before lifting the cutting board to slide the shredded pieces of chicken into the simmering pot, then added the apricot halves and stirred it all into the mix. "I might dress a little better, be a little more handy round a kitchen, but underneath it all I'm still me, still your daughter"

"But to take up with a woman..." I turned round and got two dinner plates out of the cupboard and set them on the island to one side, ready for dishing up.

"Not just any woman momma, Sharon" I looked across at her. "When you met her you thought she was wonderful, you and daddy both" She shook her head.

"But that was when she was your friend Brenda Leigh, not your...whatever" Her hands fluttered as she faltered at the word. I grinned at her awkwardness.

"My lover momma, Sharon is my lover and I'm really fortunate to have her" I gave the apricot chicken another stir, then turned the heat down a little and put the lid on while we waited for the rice. "Sharon is smart, beautiful, caring, sexy, dedicated, you name it. She may not be perfect but she's pretty close to perfect for me" I went digging for some cutlery before looking at her again.

"In fact if she was a man you'd be overjoyed, someone whose making me a better person, taking care of me, making me happy, you'd be over the moon right 'bout now" Her pursed lips were back.

"But it's not a man is it Brenda Leigh?" I smiled.

"No she's not, but Sharon gives me everything I need and I work hard to make sure I'm everything she needs too"

"She can't give you children Brenda" Ah, now we start getting to the bottom of it all. I looked at her and gave her an eye roll straight out of the Sharon Raydor arsenal.

"Like that matters to me" Momma's voice was getting petulant. No doubt this was more about her getting grandkids than much else, or at least I hoped it was.

"It should matter, you're not getting any younger Brenda Leigh, you're leaving it awful late to find the right man and have children" Time to shut this line down.

"Who says I want to find the right man? Or have children with him? Maybe I just needed to find the right woman" She looked aghast so I ploughed on. "After all the stuff Fritz put me through, it may just have soured me on the whole kid's thing"

"But Brenda..." I wasn't standing for it.

"What momma? You've already got a grandchild from Bill, Charlie's a great kid" I shrugged. "Maybe you should be hassling Mark, give him some grief about settling down and starting a family" I felt my mouth twist in annoyance. "Lord knows I've tried marriage twice and it didn't work out, meanwhile he's still gallivanting round the world's ports on that ship of his. Maybe it's time he stepped up to the plate"

"It's different Brenda, he's not my daughter"

"No, but he is your son and my brother"

To be honest I now understood why Mark spent so much time away as Captain of his container ship, it meant he didn't have to put up with our parent's incessant nagging. I'd envied his ability to skip most family gatherings through simply being away at sea, I'd been too busy being the dutiful daughter to do the same, no matter how much I'd wanted to; mind you, after the fiasco that last Christmas had turned out to be, plus momma's attitude to Sharon, I could see myself playing the same card a lot more often in the future. Willie Rae's plaintive tone brought me back to her.

"Brenda honey, how could you do this, end up with a woman?" I shrugged, giving her the honest truth.

"It kinda grew out of our friendship. Sharon's my best friend and we really liked spending time together. We were spending time with our other friends and it helped me understand that what they had wasn't wrong, they had people they loved wholeheartedly and who loved them the same way. It didn't matter to them that the other person they loved was a woman, just that what they had was worth more than their gender or what other people might think" I was interrupted by the rice cooker timer going off.

"Dinner's coming right up" I spooned out some rice for each plate, then some apricot chicken, leaving the rest for seconds or maybe taking to work for tomorrow's lunch. Picking up both plates I walked over to the table and set them down, before coming back to get the forks, napkins and glasses, as momma sat there and watched me.

"C'mon momma, eat it while it's hot" I smiled as I used one of her usual expressions against her, watching her sit down and tentatively take a mouthful, sampling it. I tried to suppress a smile at the surprise on her face.

"This is really rather good Brenda Leigh" I let my smile show.

"As you can see the recipe's simple, but it's really tasty and filling. If you want I can write it out for you to try at home" I shrugged and tried for an innocent voice and expression as I continued. "Who knows, it's different from what you're used too but I think you and daddy will eventually grow to like it"

I got a piercing stare from momma at that none too subtle statement, but she left it alone as we ate in silence.


	23. Chapter 23

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**23 ****Snooping Around**

Willie Rae's viewpoint

I'd had a restless night's sleep; I was still having trouble believing what I'd seen, Brenda Leigh taking up with a woman, telling me she was happy, even cooking for heaven's sake, it was all too much to take in. I'd tried watching a little television while Brenda did some paperwork before taking myself off to bed, I needed some time to work through all the changes; she wasn't the woman I knew, the one I'd raised and known for almost five decades. It was like I didn't know her at all now.

Of course I was happy that she seemed to be better looking after herself, her apartment was neat and tidy, something that hadn't necessarily always been the case with Brenda; she had a bit more weight on, I'd always thought she'd been too thin, now though she seemed to be eating better and looked healthier, happier somehow.

I'd known she wasn't happy when she'd come home last Christmas; now I knew why, involved with a woman, with Sharon Raydor of all people. My daughter openly standing there and telling me she loved a woman, I never would have believed it if I hadn't heard it direct from her mouth. I lay awake for a long time, wondering where we had gone wrong, what we'd done to have her turn out gay. Bill and Mark hadn't turned out wrong, so I wondered what had happened.

Maybe it was the people out here in California; they surely weren't like the people back home, no doubt about it. I shook my head at all the weird celebrities and such out here, many of them were gay or something and their example must have helped influence Brenda's thinking, made her think what she was doing was right, which it most definitely was not.

I kept thinking of those women in the photo on the bookshelf, they were pretty and all, but they were all gay, maybe they had led her astray, I didn't know how, but something must have happened. I mean Brenda wasn't like that, she'd been married twice, they hadn't worked out, true, but they were men, the way it was supposed to be. Now she'd gotten involved with Sharon Raydor. I mean she'd seemed nice enough, back when I'd first met her, but that was back when Brenda and Fritz we're still married. Had she somehow contributed to Brenda's breakup, maybe wanting Brenda Leigh for herself?

I'd come out here to set things right, after all the problems we'd had at Christmas; now it was apparent that there were more serious things to be put to rights and I was going to make sure they were.

I thought about ringing Clay, but decided that if I was able to get things fixed here there was no need for him to know his little girl had been misbehaving so badly. I was still thinking over what I should do when I fell asleep.

This morning I'd had breakfast with Brenda Leigh where I'd resolutely tried to talk some sense into her, but she'd brushed off my concerns over eggs and bacon, telling me that she was happy and in love and that was that.

I noted she was dressed in a very business-looking grey skirt suit, all pinstripes and sharp tailoring, matched with very high-heeled black patent leather pumps and a matching black leather bag, not really her normal style at all. Where were her floral prints, she looked so lovely and feminine in them, just like a real lady; that suit made her look hard, like some corporate CEO or a lawyer, not like my Brenda at all. Even her hair was different, she'd pinned it up to one side, again it looked far too formal for the Brenda I'd raised, I liked it long and loose, like the little girl she'd always be to me.

No doubt this was all even more of Sharon Raydor's influence, I was sure of it and I didn't like it, not one bit. Why did she have to change so much? It was like she was someone else, not my daughter, I looked across at this woman who looked like my Brenda Leigh but wasn't, and asked her why she'd changed her style so much. She just laughed and confirmed what I'd feared; it was Sharon Raydor's doing.

Apparently both of them were supposed to be a 'role model' to female officers, it was up to her to 'set an example' and 'look the part' of the successful senior officer, that it made people take her more seriously in meetings and it didn't hurt that she looked good in them. I frowned at her words; it was obvious that woman was a bad influence, no doubt about it. I noticed that often when she mentioned Sharon, her hand would toy with a diamond pendant on a gold necklace, it turned out to have been Sharon's present to her last Christmas. It was actually quite lovely and obviously very expensive. When I asked her what she had got Sharon, she told me that her present had been a Dolce Vita watch, something she loved as much as Brenda loved the necklace. I'd frowned but kept my peace, but made a mental note to look up the watch, how much it was I wondered, was Sharon bleeding Brenda dry?

Finally Brenda left for work, leaving me to sit around for a while wondering what I was going to do. I didn't feel like going out, I had far more important things to consider right here and now. Getting Brenda to see that Sharon was a bad influence on her was going to be difficult, obviously she was under that woman's spell, wearing business clothes and sporting new hairstyles, jewellery that Sharon had bought her, she was all so different now.

I ended up wandering around her apartment, not really snooping, just curious about her life now. What I found left me confused. Brenda had always been disorganised around the home, when I'd raised it with her in the past Brenda Leigh had always told me that her work was her priority, now though not only was her apartment clean and tidy, the kitchen was well-stocked and the food in the fridge was fresh. I made myself another herbal tea, marvelling at the fact that not only was there a selection of them, but that they were there at all. Brenda wasn't a tea drinker, so these must be Sharon's influence too, that woman was absolutely everywhere in Brenda's life now it seemed.

With a cup of tea in my hand I'd continued wandering round the apartment, I'd seen that there were two separate brands of shampoo and conditioner in the shower when I'd been in there this morning, plus there was a second toothbrush in the holder, obviously Sharon '_visited_'' regularly. A check of the shelves in the mirror cabinet turned up two different sets of cosmetics, potions, cleansers, eye cream, razors, hygiene products and the like, obviously Brenda's and Sharon's.

That made me wonder what else of hers was here, but a look through the rest of the closets and cupboards turned up nothing that was especially likely to be hers, although I did find some clothes that were Brenda's size, but obviously new and very different.

There was a new pants suit, all black and lovely with an Armani label, but not something Brenda Leigh would normally wear, a range of work suits in amongst her usual floral skirts, again not her usual style, more Sharon's kind of clothes. The real surprise though was the gorgeous blue gown I found hanging in her closet in a bag, it was all satin and silk and fine lace, so soft and lovely to the touch, Brenda would look beatiful in it, I'd never seen the like, certainly not in Brenda's closet so I made a mental note to ask her about it tonight.

There was a collection of shoes in the bottom, all laid out in a shoe caddy, some I recognised from previous visits, some sandals and flats, two pairs of well worn runners, but there was a lot more I didn't recognise, obviously all new, a set of cork wedges, too high to be practical, plus way too many sets of impractical heels. How she could even walk in such ridiculously high and narrow heels I had no idea, they surely weren't the sort of thing respectable women wore, that's for sure. There were several sets of pumps in a couple of colours, reds, blacks, white, silver and creame, a terribly frivolous saphire blue pair with velvet and other frippery detail, two pairs of black strappy leather shoes that were far too high to comfortably walk in, plus others as well. Obviously that Raydor woman's influence, like so much else.

Looking round a bit further back in her closet I found two little black dresses on their hangers, both would be too short and definitely too tight for work and definitely something that wasn't a normal part of Brenda Leigh's wardrobe, no doubt more of that woman's doing. I was about to step back when I saw another dress, I'd thought it to be like the other's but the light reflected off it strangely, catching my eye. Reaching in I lifted the hangar off the rail, pulling the dress out free from the other clothes, allowing me to get a good look at it.

Oh my god. It was some stretchy rubbery material; it was black, way too short and tight for any decent woman to wear. It looked like the sort of thing some of those shameless female singers would wear, that Cyrus girl or maybe Britney or that dark girl Rianna, I couldn't believe my daughter would own such a thing, let alone wear it. I gritted my teeth for a moment and then shook my head as I put that...dress back where it had come from. It just confirmed everything I'd known, Sharon Raydor was a very bad influence on Brenda Leigh and I'd have to put a stop to it.

Wandering around Brenda's bedroom, I spotted a double photo frame on her bedside table, each photo featuring Brenda and Sharon so I sat on the bed and looked at it for a while. One picture showed Brenda Leigh in that beautiful blue dress, she really did look wonderful, the belle of the ball. Standing next to her was Sharon Raydor, wearing a rich brown off the shoulder dress with lots of ruffles, I had to admit she looked pretty as well, standing together they were both smiling at the camera; I knew that smile on my daughter's face, it was the one she wore when she was really happy, her whole face lit up like a Christmas tree.

The other photograph was of the two of them together again, this time Brenda Leigh was wearing one of those short, figure-hugging black dresses in the closet, they both were, dresses almost indecently tight but they had the figures to carry it off, again they both they looked happy though their expressions were full of trouble. They were standing with their arms around each other, smiling and glancing at each other, I'd seen that expression before too, usually when Brenda Leigh was about to get up to no good. I sat there on the bed for a while looking at those photo's, I had to admit she looked very happy in both of them; how could a woman make her so happy?

I poked around some more, opening her drawers one by one, the top one held panties and bra's, mostly sets, all very nice and new looking, checking the labels they were brands like La Perla and Agent Provocateur that I'd never heard of, all very feminie, if a little racy. The second drawer held more if the same, but if anything even skimpier and more shameless, there was even a corset with a built in garter belt, all black satin and lace that left more exposed than covered, plus a set of thigh-high stockings, all black silk with roses entwining up the back, pretty but not the sort of thing my Brenda Leigh would ever wear, these must be Sharon's though why they were in Brenda's drawers I didn't want to imagine. There was no way my daughter would ever wear anything so brazen. I was still coming to terms with what I was seeing when I opened the bottom drawer. Oh my dear lord.

The…things…I found in there were disgusting, some looked like a man's...thing, others looked like nothing I could imagine, I had no idea what they were for and no desire to find out. There were plastic things and metal things and things made of leather, scarves and handcuffs and blindfolds and other, sick things that made me want to be ill. I almost went to touch them, before quickly pulling my hand back. I had no idea where those nasty things had been and there was no way I was going to touch them.

Slamming the drawer shut I backed away, shocked at what I'd seen. Those things must have belonged to Sharon, surely Brenda wouldn't have them, it must be all Sharon's fault; all of it was her fault. Brenda had been happy before she had shown up, before she had corrupted my daughter, dragging her into her filthy, disgusting habits.

I finally went back into the lounge room and spent some time just looking at that photo of Brenda and her 'friends' again. She looked happy, even though I had a hard time understanding the occasion, a woman proposing to another woman? It just wasn't right. I might be legal and all but it wasn't right. Still though I had to admit that it was a lovely ring on the blonde in the middle's finger, she was really pretty, they all were, Brenda and the other blonde women in the picture were all beautiful, the brunettes were different, but they were all real pretty too. These were the people she was keeping company with; they'd made her this way.

I sat there for a while, trying to take it all in, trying to understand what had happened to my little girl. She may think she was in love, but it wasn't the right thing, she had to understand that, I had to make her see that.

Late in the morning Brenda rang, she said it was to see if I needed anything but really I think she was checking up on me; she told me that Sharon would be over for dinner tonight and that we'd be having something Italian. I was sure I wasn't ready to meet my daughter's lesbian 'girlfriend' but Brenda just ignored my objections, told me it was already arranged and that they would see me tonight, before hanging up. I could tell that woman was a bad influence on Brenda, my daughter wouldn't be so short with me otherwise, I was her mother after all, it just wasn't right.

Speaking to Brenda reminded me and I decided to do some checking up on that watch Brenda had given Sharon last Christmas. I found a phone book and looked up the jeweller with the biggest ad, sure they could help me. Twenty minutes later I dropped the phone on its cradle, appalled at what I'd learned.

Without knowing the model number, I couldn't be sure, but Brenda had to have spent thousands, thousands of dollars on that watch. I sat back, stunned, I don't think Brenda had ever spent that sort of money on anything, not for herself and definitely not on anyone else.

That led me back to the closet where I wrote down the labels on the suit and the dress, before checking again, ringing around to get some idea of how much they cost. It took almost an hour, plus some white lies about why I wanted the details, but I finally got to the bottom of it. I was shocked; Brenda had spent a fortune on those clothes, why Clay and I could have each bought a complete new wardrobe full of clothes for the price of that suit and dress.

Added to the information I had about the cost of the watch Brenda Leigh had bought that woman, I was obvious that she was living an extravagant lifestyle, nothing like how she'd been brought up, yet another change thanks to Sharon Raydor, they were all adding up.

It looked like that woman was using my daughter for her own ends, spending her money, getting her to buy stupidly expensive clothes, not to mention those…things I'd found. She was corrupting my beautiful girl and I wouldn't stand for it.

I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to understand what had happened to my daughter and how I was going to set it right.


	24. Chapter 24

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**24 Disagreeable Dinner**

Willie Rae's viewpoint

Dinner didn't go well, at all; in fact it was a complete disaster.

Brenda arrived around six, resolutely ignoring my entreaties that what she was doing was wrong, telling me that Sharon was coming over so that I could see how happy she made her and how good they were together. My arguments that I didn't want to see any such thing were ignored as she went and got changed, emerging in a pair of form-hugging dark blue jeans, runners and a plain white t-shirt that if anything was a trifle too tight, not loose and comfortable like her usual, more of that woman's doing I was sure.

Sharon Raydor arrived about an hour later; obviously she'd gone home and changed, now wearing tailored jeans, slip-ons and a loose sweater, remarkably similar to what Brenda had worn last night, now I understood where she got that style from. She had brought the ingredients for a Fettuccini Carbonara but I wasn't really hungry, especially not after watching them together for a while.

They were all very close, little touches, bumping shoulders and hips as they moved round the kitchen, smiles and such, almost flirting if truth be told and I didn't like it, not one little bit at all.

I'd tried to be polite, calling her Captain Raydor, only to be corrected by Brenda, it was apparently Commander Raydor now but in Brenda's house it was Sharon. I'd nodded and kept my peace as they moved around the kitchen, trying to make small talk with me while dinner was prepared. I noticed Sharon was familiar with Brenda's kitchen, she knew where to go to find everything, the fact that everything was in its place was another surprise, Brenda normally wouldn't have owned things like a garlic press or a zester, let alone have put them in the right place, something that had surprised me when I'd found them earleir. Deciding to dig I looked at Sharon.

"It seems you're very familiar with my daughter's home Sharon. Do you visit often?" I saw a quick look pass between them, before Brenda gave a small shrug, getting a raised eyebrow in return.

"Yes Mrs Johnson, I stay over several times a week, when Brenda isn't staying at my house" I felt my lips thin; they were both behaving as if everything was normal, but it wasn't.

"At your house?" Brenda looked up and smiled.

"Sharon has a beautiful home momma, much nicer than the one I used to live in" I frowned, '_used to..._'

"You mean the one you bought with Fritz, Brenda Leigh?" She nodded offhandedly.

"Yeah, that one" My frown deepened at her cavalier attitude.

"Why aren't you still living there for heaven's sake Brenda? That's your home; you should live in your own home rather than staying at…" She cut me off.

"Too many memories momma, not particularly good ones either. Besides, this way I have someone in there renting it, helping to pay off the mortgage, at least until it's sold" I didn't understand her at all.

"Why on earth would you sell it?" Brenda turned to look at me.

"It'll have to be sold momma, as part of the divorce settlement, sure as hell Fritz isn't going to give it to me and I'm surely not going to give it to him" I was perplexed by the lack of interest in keeping the home she and Fritz had bought.

"Brenda, that's a little harsh, you bought that place together" She shrugged.

"Yep, and we'll sell it together, the last thing we need to do as a married couple before the divorce comes through. It can't come soon enough" I was taken aback at the disdain for her husband in Brenda's voice, was this more of Sharon Raydor's work? Speaking of which, she looked up at me from where she was checking on the cooking, looking right at me.

"As for Brenda staying at my place, well I love having her there, so it's no imposition I can assure you" I just nodded, not wanting to be seen condoning what they were doing.

"Besides momma, Sharon's place is over in Silver Lake, which is a really nice area; lots of artists and other creative people, there's lots of unusual shops there, clothes shops and curio stores and stuff. You should visit that part of LA, it's really interesting"

"Thank you Brenda Leigh, maybe another visit"

"What brought you out this time Mrs Johnson?" It was Sharon. "I understand this was an unexpected visit" I looked at her and tried to keep my voice neutral.

"I knew something was wrong and came to see what it was" Brenda looked up at me, an edge to her voice.

"What made you think something was wrong?" I turned to look at my daughter.

"You weren't yourself when you came home at Christmas Brenda Leigh, so I gave you some time to get better before I came to visit" My daughter leaned back against the bench, arms folded and looked across at me, a frown on her face.

"I wasn't myself momma, because you and daddy spent the entire time badgering me, trying to tell me that I should get back together with the man who left me. Given the circumstances, I consider myself totally justified in not being myself" I felt my lips tighten, before forcing myself to relax; I didn't see any benefit in getting into an argument, not yet anyway.

"We just want you to be happy dear" I saw a quick smile pass between them before Brenda looked back at me.

"Well as you can plainly see, I am, so you don't have to worry, Sharon's taking good care of me" The woman in question looked over from checking the pots and smiled at me.

"Which really is a pleasure, I don't mind in the slightest, besides Brenda helps look after me too" I raised an eyebrow at that. '_Oh really?_'

"Oh, exactly how does she do that?" Sharon Raydor smiled, glancing at Brenda.

"Worries about me, nags me to not work too late, tries to make sure we do fun things on the weekend, lots of little things that all add up to a lot" They shared a smile again as I sat there taking it all in.

"I see" Wanting to change the subject away from their activities together, I asked about their work days, hearing about their cases and some of the men working for Brenda. I sat there and wondered what their opinion of all this was, perhaps I might call them at work tomorrow and ask.

Dinner was quiet and the food was nice, Sharon Raydor was an excellent cook, leaving me wondering if some of that had rubbed off on Brenda, last night's dinner had been simple but tasty and certainly something that Brenda would never, ever have cooked previously.

After we'd finished I watched as Brenda excused herself to go to the bathroom, while Sharon busied herself loading the dishwasher. This gave me a chance to talk to her separately, which I'd wanted to do since Brenda had told me what was happening.

"So how long have you been involved with my daughter?" She straightened up and closed the door, starting the machine before looking at me with those very green eyes.

"Since not long after the LAPD Ball actually. As you're aware we'd been close friends for a lot longer, but we've only been together for about four months"

"So is this something casual for you?" Her jaw and eyes tightened.

"That's not how I see it. I love your daughter Mrs. Johnson, there's nothing casual about it" I shook my head at her words.

"I can't say I approve. I believe that Brenda would be better off with her husband" Sharon's jaw tightened even more before she spoke, her voice low and flat.

"For someone who should be concerned that Brenda is happy, you have a strange way of showing it" I felt a surge of anger, the nerve of the woman, who was she to judge me? My voice came out harsh and louder than I intended.

"I beg your pardon?" With effort I lowered my voice; I didn't want Brenda piling in on this too. "Perhaps you'd like to explain that statement" She raised one eyebrow, her voice cool and calm.

"Brenda is happy; I work very hard to make sure she is, her happiness is very, very important to me, something which her ex-husband neglected" I frowned.

"Brenda is still married" The annoying woman was calm as anything.

"At the moment, the sooner he's out of her life the better" Well, I never…this woman certainly was presumptuous.

"So you can replace him" She was unfazed, leaning back against the kitchen bench as I found myself wondering what it would take to get her to lose that cool.

"I already have, simply because I care about her more than anyone except my children" She shook her head slowly. "Agent Howard treated your daughter abominably over the last year before they seperated, trying to force her to quit her job and get pregnant. The fool completely misread Brenda, how much her job means to her, how important it is to her" She paused for a moment, obviously working out what to say before continuing. "Someone that stupid, that insensitive, didn't deserve her, further proved by the fact that he walked out on her".

"Something you no doubt encouraged. To have her all to yourself" Her eyes narrowed, making me wonder just what she'd be like angry, probably one of those quiet, frosty types.

"Look Mrs. Johnson, I get that you don't like me, no doubt you think I turned your daughter gay, probably just to spite you, but it was a complete surprise to both of us" She shrugged, though she wasn't fooling me, not one bit, this was her fault, it was all her fault.

"Brenda didn't know I was gay and I knew Brenda was straight. We were friends before their seperation and remained friends after. It was only in recent months that we both realised how much we meant to each other" I shook my head; this was my daughter we were talking about.

"My daughter isn't gay, she can't be" Sharon gave me a slightly cocky, self-assured smile.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you but I can assure you that for someone you insist can't be a lesbian Brenda does a first-class job of being an outstanding lover" I felt my jaw drop at the brazen audacity of the woman. It didn't faze her though as she kept speaking. "I've been married and had male and female partners, but no one makes me feel like Brenda does, when she loves she does so wholeheartedly. I've never wanted to make someone so happy in all my life, with the exception of my kids. She is someone very, very special, that's why I love her" I shook my head at her words, at just how wrong they were.

"Love? You can't love her, you're both women"

"Yes we are momma and yes we can" Brenda was there leaning in the doorway, looking at us both. I tried once more to get her to see that what she was doing was terribly, terribly wrong. I turned away from Sharon and tried to appeal directly to my daughter.

"Brenda Leigh, this...thing with this woman, it's a mistake, it's wrong and it's a sin. Can't you see it, you need to be with a man" I saw her expression change and harden; making me wonder if this was how she was at her job. Had being in the police hardened her, made her like this? I'd never wanted her to be a policewoman but she'd gone her own way, just like she'd always had.

"No it's not wrong and no I do not need to be with a man. Sharon makes me happy and I do everything I can to make her happy too. As I tried to explain it to you last night momma, Sharon is a wonderful person, I'm so lucky to have found my way to her, to love her and have that love returned. Why can't you accept that?" I looked at her, seeing someone who looked like my daughter but wasn't and shook my head.

"Because it's wrong Brenda, it's not natural" She shrugged her shoulders at me.

"What is natural then momma? You tell me" I thought for a moment, searching for the right words, to make her see sense.

"Being with a man, a good man, being married, having his children, raising a family. That's what" Brenda appeared unconcerned.

"I don't need to be with a man to be happy, I would have thought you could tell that from all the positive changes in my life an all, I am happy, ridiculously happy, Sharon makes me that way" They exchanged a meaning-laden glance and a smile appeared on her face before she continued. "As for children, well if Sharon and I wanted children, which by the way neither of us does, there are ways we could have them. But why would we want to, Sharon's already raised two great kids, one's a surgeon and the other's a lawyer. Heck, I doubt I could have done as well" I frowned. '_No children, no grandchildren?_'

"But it's not right" Brenda levered herself off the wall and stood there in the doorway, her hands on her hips as her jaw jutted forward angrily.

"I'll tell you what's not right, that my own mother is standing here in my kitchen wailing about how her daughter being happy is wrong, how the person I love whose making me so happy is not right, how she's making me unhappy right now because she won't accept the choices I've made in my life" I had to defend myself from her accusations, make her see she was wrong. Crossing my arms I stared back at her.

"That's not true; I've supported you in your choices, even when they're the wrong ones, like becoming a police officer" Her snort was completely unladylike.

"Yes you've supported my bad choices, like my first and second husbands, both of whom turned out to be dreadful mistakes, at the same time you've moaned about me being in the CIA and the police; 'you'll never meet a good man there'. Remember that momma?" I nodded quickly.

"Well you didn't"

"No I didn't, instead I met a good woman" Before I could speak she raised her hand, stopping me. "Remember that ass Dave, who I met after I left the CIA, the one you thought the world of. Turned out that wasn't exactly a wise move, as the subsequent divorce proved" I blushed, that man had turned out to a dreadful error, he'd fooled everyone until it was all too late. Still I had to try and make her see.

"Everyone makes mistakes Brenda Leigh" I got a tight, angry nod in return.

"And don't I know it? Let's talk Fritz Howard, another of those mistakes" I looked up at my daughter, she was wrong, Fritz loved her, I knew it, she must have known it as well, or at least until Sharon had got her claws into her.

"He loved you Brenda, he wanted you to be happy and to raise a family together" Brenda shook her head angrily.

"No momma, not together, he wanted me to raise his kids while he stayed at work, not realising that my job meant just as much to me as his did to him. He didn't care about that, it was all about him, me doing what he wanted, not the other way round" I tried to make her see some sense.

"We all have to make compromises..."

"Compromises!" Brenda's voice was an exasperated, angry hiss, her face contorted in anger, heaven only knows why, but it was enough to draw Sharon over to stand next to her, resting her hand on Brenda's arm as she took a deep breath through gritted teeth. I didn't hear what they whispered but Sharon must have calmed her because Brenda finally nodded at her, before looking up at me and speaking, her voice much quieter. "And what exactly did Fritz Howard compromise about? He was the one pushing for marriage, which I agreed to cause I wanted to make him happy. Then we'd no sooner gotten married when he started on me leaving my job and getting pregnant. He was the one cheering on that son of a bitch Goldman when he tried to ruin me, because that meant I'd lose my job and probably never get another job with the police anywhere. That way I'd become dependent on him and he could force me to become pregnant" I had to speak up, I knew Fritz had wanted to be a father, a good father.

"Well, he wanted children..." Brenda quickly cut me off.

"Exactly right, he wanted children. I wanted to be Chief Johnson, putting criminals behind bars and protecting the people of Los Angeles. He wanted children" I nodded, remembering Fritz's enthusiasm for having kids.

"It was important to him" Brenda's voice was rising again, her face redenning with anger.

"It surely was, so important in fact that he threw out my birth control pills and then fucked me without a condom. When I realised what he was doing I tried to get him to stop, but he wouldn't, not until he got what he wanted" I was shocked to the core at her words; Fritz hadn't seemed that sort of man at all. I realised that Sharon was standing next to Brenda, shock on her face, she obviously didn't know either, I took some comfort from that, obviously they weren't that close after all.

"Fritz couldn't have Brenda, he's not like that" My words if anything only made Brenda angrier, as Sharon's face turned immobile, looking between Brenda and I without visible emotion.

"How the fuck would you know what that bastard was like momma? He raped me, that's what it's called when someone forces you to have sex when you say no" I was shocked at her language, how dare she speak to me like that.

"Brenda Leigh Johnson! You mind your tongue!" The enraged scowl on her face was frightening; I'd never seen the like on her.

"No, I will not momma, I'm telling you what actually happened, the first time I've told anyone and all you're worried about is my language?" I tried to explain…

"But he was your husband, he couldn't have, it wouldn't be..."

"Rape, yes it would be" It was Sharon, her voice cold and clinical. "The law is quite clear. It wouldn't matter if they were married or not. If I forced myself on Brenda against her wishes that would be rape; the same applies within marriage" Brenda nodded, her hand seeking out Sharon's, her face drawn and angry; voice cold and cutting.

"He raped me momma, because he wanted kids and I didn't. Fortunately I didn't get pregnant, which was a blessing because there was no way I was going to carry his child after that. It saved me having to get an abortion" Oh my god, my daughter talking about having an abortion, I suddenly felt faint and put my hand out to the bench top for support. Who was this woman, she wasn't my daughter, I didn't know who or what she was anymore. Brenda was still talking as Sharon stood by her, holding her hand as Brenda continued venting.

"My marriage pretty much ended that night, I ended up in the other bedroom with the door locked and my gun under the pillow. The following morning we agreed to take some time living separate lives in the same house but instead Fritz apparently decided that I wasn't going to give him what he wanted, so a few days later he came back with movers during the day while I was at work and moved himself out, leaving me with the mortgage. He disappeared and left me there alone, he's living in DC now" I tried to say something, to reassure her, to make it better.

"Oh Brenda, I'm sure it's just a horrible misunderstanding, a mistake, he'll realise he's done the wrong thing by you and come back, he'll apologise and things will go back to the way they were" Brenda's face changed, darkening like a storm coming over the horizon, angry and dangerous.

"Momma, how can you be so goddamned stupid?" Her bitter words, harsh voice and angry stare were like a slap in the face. "He...raped…me... Get that into your head. He raped me to get what he wanted and when that didn't work, when I wouldn't give him what he wanted, he walked out" Brenda snorted again, half in anger, half exasperation.

"Now he's apparently fucking some young girl, a junior agent half my age back in DC last I heard; he's never coming back" She frowned. "Besides, who says I want things to go back to the way they were? Why would I want that son of a bitch back in my life when I have Sharon, she's everything he isn't, that's why I love her" Brenda looked at Sharon, her face softening at Brenda's words, before reaching out to Sharon and pulling her into a hug.

I stood there for a moment, watching my daughter seek solace in the arms of a woman. They stood there hugging for what must have been close to a minute as I tried to come to terms with the angry, vulgar-mouthed woman my beautiful daughter had turned into, as I wondered how I could get her to come home with me, away from Los Angeles and all the corruption here, corruption which had obviously changed my little girl. As I stood there I realised that Sharon was looking into Brenda's eyes and speaking.

"Honey, why didn't you ever tell me?" Brenda's voice was soft and low but I heard it clear enough.

"I was afraid to, that you'd be upset about it, or see me differently" Sharon's voice was shocked.

"Upset, god no! I just want to hunt him down and kill him for hurting you; besides, I love you, nothing's going to change that" Brenda smiled at Sharon's outburst, as they stared at each other, then Sharon leaned in and they kissed, not a peck on the cheek, but a full blown kiss, their arms around each other, hands in each other's hair, kissing like were in some sort of sick foreign film.

It was disgusting; it was making me feel ill. I hadn't raised my daughter to be a lesbian, to behave like this; to act so shamelessly, she was going against everything I'd taught her, everything the church taught her, it wasn't right. I had to speak up.

"What's happened to you Brenda Leigh, we didn't raise you to be like this" At my words Brenda pulled back, stepping apart, though I saw her hand find Sharon's once again.

"I grew up momma, I stopped worrying about what everyone else wants or might think and instead I listened to my heart and my head for a change. Both were telling me Sharon was the best decision I've ever made and they were right" I had to try, to make her see she was wrong, wrong about everything.

"I understand now that Fritz did the wrong thing, what he did was horrible, I know he wanted children but he shouldn't have done what he did. But this thing with this woman, it's wrong. Come with me Brenda, we can get you help, get you straightened out, so things can be right again" I was expecting some sort of reaction but I wasn't expecting the one I got; laughter, terrible, bitter mocking laughter. Finally she calmed down and spoke.

"Oh for god's sake momma, why won't you understand what I've been telling you all along? I don't need help, I sure as hell don't need to be straight, I'm happy being a lesbian if it means that I'm with Sharon and she's with me" She pulled Sharon in close and slid her arm around Sharon's waist. "I love her momma, you better get used to it because nothing's going to change" I felt tears appear in my eyes, who was this woman, what had happened to my beautiful little girl?

"Brenda, this thing, what you're doing, it's not right, it's a sin. You have to see it" I saw Brenda Leigh's jaw set, she wasn't listening to me, I could tell.

"No momma, it's you who has to see, see that I'm with the right person, here with Sharon, happy and in love" I felt my jaw set as I spoke.

"All I see is that my daughter's doing something sick with this woman. It's all her fault, you used to be normal, before her, she's corrupted you somehow" Sharon's face went white, but I wasn't prepared for the look on Brenda's face, she looked like I'd slapped her, her voice clipped and angry.

"Excuse me?!" I hurried on, using the silence to try and make my point.

"Before she came along you were the person we raised; now you're someone else. It's her fault, she's done this somehow, made you part of her disgusting ways" Brenda's hands were suddenly on her hips as she leaned forward, I could see the anger boiling within her.

"Disgusting... What the hell are you talking about momma?" I could tell this was getting out of hand but I had to make her see sense, that I was right.

"This depraved lifestyle you're in, taking up with this woman, the shameless clothes you wear, things you do to each other, it's wrong" Brenda crossed her arms, staring at me through narrowed eyes, her voice suddenly cold and remote.

"Whoa, slow down, what do you mean the things we do to each other?" Sharon's head had turned to me, her voice not just cold, instead frigid.

"I'd also like to know exactly what you mean by those words Mrs Johnson" I ignored her and spoke to my daughter.

"I saw things in your bedroom, those things in your drawer, you weren't like that before Brenda Leigh, is she making you do those things, is she forcing you into this somehow?" Sharon's face changed to an angry scowl while Brenda's went an alarming shade of red, her voice rising angrily to a near screech.

"You searched through my house? What the hell were you thinking momma, don't you have any sense of privacy, of decency?" Sharon Raydor looked at me coldly, her voice bitter and hostile.

"I would never force Brenda to do anything. I'm offended that you'd even suggest I'd do something like that" Ignoring her I continued speaking to Brenda, trying to make her see the sense of what I was saying.

"I'm your mother, I have to look out for you and it's a good thing I did given those dreadful things I found" I crossed my arms and scowled at them both. "Anyway, you're a fine one to talk about decency, given those things" Brenda's voice had lost none of its anger.

"Snoop around my life you mean? And all those toys in the bottom drawer? Sharon and I bought them together, the same as we use them together; they help give me a pretty fantastic sex life, like nothing I've ever experienced, all thanks to Sharon" I pounced on her words.

"So you admit that she's the one that's done this to you" Brenda was unabashed.

"Yes I do! Sharon has gone out of her way to make me happy and fulfilled and loved and I love her for it" I nodded, surely she must see what was happening.

"She's the one making you spend all your money on her, on her kind of clothes and on those disgusting things in your drawer" Before they could speak I pressed on. "She's the one who's dragged you into this depravity, how could you let her?" I felt tears appearing in my eyes, this was my little girl. "How could you?" Brenda however was unmoved.

"Simple momma, I keep telling you, I love Sharon and she loves me. As for the things we do, well they're all part of an amazing sex life" She looked across at Sharon and chuckled. "In fact the only regret I have is that I wasted all those years with him when I could have been in Sharon's bed years ago" Sharon smiled back at her as they turned their attention to each other, ignoring me, as I felt my anger flare.

"I think we were far too busy fighting back then Brenda Leigh, to be considering doing other things with our time" Brenda smiled even wider, completely ignoring my distress.

"Doesn't mean I don't regret it sweetie, I would have much rather been doing the hippy thing, making love, not war" I couldn't believe the things she was saying; they were making their depravity a joke.

"How can you joke about this, this thing?" Brenda turned back to look at me, one eyebrow arching.

"Really simple momma, I'm happy with the choices I've made. They're the right ones, after a lot of mistakes I've found the one person I love completely and who loves me the same way. If people don't like it, that's their problem not mine" I felt tears appearing in my eyes, this was my little girl, what had happened.

"Brenda, this is wrong, if you loved me you'd see this, see its wrong" She slowly shook her head.

"I do love you momma, but if you loved me then you'd be happy that I was happy, that I was in love. Obviously however that's not true, is it?" I felt her words drive right through me, could feel the tears coursing down my cheeks.

"It's like I don't know you anymore Brenda Leigh, you're not the girl I raised, you're not my daughter" I turned to look at that woman, the one who'd caused all this. "It's all your fault, my daughter was fine before you did this too her, made her do all these disgusting, depraved things, it's all your fault. I hate you" I saw a sad look cross her face, together with something I couldn't identify, before she turned to Brenda, her voice low.

"I'll leave Brenda; it's obvious my presence here is upsetting your mother and not helping things at all" Brenda shook her head and reached out, grabbing the other woman's hand and puling her close.

"No you will not Sharon, I want you here, this is your home as much as mine and there's no way you are being chased out of here by anyone, not even my mother" Brenda turned and faced me, her face cold, her voice clipped and angry.

"Momma, please go and pack your bags, I'm calling you a cab, it will take you to a hotel near LAX, There'll be a room waiting for you to stay overnight. You can change your flight back to Atlanta to the next available flight when you get there" I was stunned. She wouldn't do this to me.

"Brenda Leigh Johnson, you cannot be serious? I mean, you can't, I'm your mother" She nodded once.

"Yes you are which is why I'm paying for your cab fare and your hotel room tonight. If you were anyone else and insulted Sharon the way you have here tonight, I'd throw you out on the street" I was shocked, what was going on here?

"You can't do this to me, I am your mother" The set of her face was final.

"Yes I can and I will" She looked at me and I didn't recognise the voice or the person speaking those words. She looked like my daughter but she wouldn't, she couldn't treat me like this.

"I tried to tell you how much Sharon meant to me…means to me, I love her. Do you hear me momma? I love her. Until you learn to accept that basic fact and that Sharon and I will be together for as long as she is willing to have me, you are not welcome here in LA" I felt my jaw drop open, before finally gathering the wits to speak, my voice sounding plaintive even to my ears.

"You can't be serious Brenda Leigh?"

"Oh I'm serious alright. Until you learn to accept that Sharon is the one I love and treat her with the respect and dignity and love that she deserves, don't bother coming back"


	25. Chapter 25

**Merry Christmas to all, may the day be all you could wish for, filled with love, laughter and light**

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**25 The Pool Party**

Maura's viewpoint

The weather was lovely, warm with a slight breeze to take the edge off the heat. On days like this having a pool in the back yard was a blessing, one we made sure to make the most of, especially when entertaining. I had agreed with Jane that whatever house we ended up buying here in LA, it had to come with a swimming pool, it would also be perfect for children in the future as well.

Natalia and Anastasia had arrived around 11 to join us, catching up with Olivia and Alex as Jane and I passed out coffees; laughter and teasing filling the house and making me smile. This was what I had missed as a child, a house full of love and laughter and people. I'd had it with Jane's family in Boston and we were building it here in Los Angeles.

Handing out the coffee's I had no sooner sat down when Alex turned and looked at me, smiling excitedly.

"I'm so glad you're all coming to New York, I can't wait" I smiled at her enthusiasm, though I had to admjt to myself I was feeling something similar, it should be a very special occasion.

"We are both looking forward to it as well, with all of us there it should be a truly wonderful evening" Natalie grinned.

"I can't wait to see Liv, Jane and Ana in tuxes either, that's going to be something pretty special right there" Alex nodded.

"It's going to be great. Speaking of something special, we need to go shopping while we're out here, find something for each of us to wear" I nodded.

"Given our escorts will be wearing identical suits, we need to avoid similar styles and colours" They both nodded before Natalie shrugged.

"As if I need a reason to spend time shopping with you guys, it'll be fun" We made plans to go shopping on Rodeo Drive tomorrow morning, leaving the rest of today for lounging around, relaxing and having fun, something we all needed.

As the day wore on the heat became a little too uncomfortable, so Jane sent us all to get changed and join her in the pool. Several minutes later I emerged after having changed to check on the lunch, everything was prepared and waiting, we'd enjoy some pool frolics before sitting down to a casual lunch, lie around for a while then end up in the pool again.

We were planning to head out for a quiet dinner, followed by a movie later; everyone's recent schedules had been so hectic that Olivia and Alexandra's visit was to be a low-key, relaxed one, something we all needed. We'd catch up with Brenda and Sharon tomorrow; they'd been scheduled to join us today but Brenda had rung to tell me her mother had arrived unexpectedly on Thursday afternoon and that they were entertaining her for dinner last night. I had suggested that she bring her over, only to be told that her mother had taken the news of Sharon and Brenda's relationship very poorly. So poorly in fact that Brenda had rung this morning to explain last night had not gone at all well and she really didn't feel like being social today, instead inviting us over tomorrow for a late lunch.

I expected we would hear more about it tomorrow, but I hoped that the issue would not cause a rift such as the one created with my parents over Jane. I shook my head slowly, Jane and I were extremely happy together; I still could not comprehend why Constance and Richard would not and apparently could not accept our happiness.

Sighing at yet another of the many things I could not control, I finished checking that all was ready for lunch once we exited the pool before wandering out onto the pool deck. I chatted to Natalie, Ana and Jane as we discussed Brenda's mother's visit, before I noticed that Alex and Olivia seemed to be taking an inordinantly long time to get changed, prompting me to go looking for them.

As I walked towards the door of their bedroom I saw Olivia emerge in a deep blue one-piece swimsuit, one which emphasized her delectable curves and defined musculature; however she looked tense and upset as she drew the door closed behind her.

"Olivia, is something wrong?" She looked up to see me there and looked a little embarrassed.

"Ah, Maura…hmm, sorry, um Alex will be out in a while…yeah" I could tell that she was dissembling, something she almost never did.

"Whatever is the matter?" She looked back at the door to their bedroom, before sighing.

"Alex's upset" I frowned, she'd seemed fine earlier.

"Is it something we have done? Can I do anything?" She shook her head slowly.

"It's an old problem, she's not really listening to me, again" Her head came up as she looked me in the eye. "Maybe you and Nat can talk to her?" Her voice was slightly plaintive. I smiled.

"If we can help of course we will" She nodded. "What is the problem?" She grimaced.

"Alex has issues with people seeing her shooting scar" I frowned again, before nodding.

"Can you go and send Natalie in please" Olivia nodded and left as I stepped up to the door and knocked. I didn't hear anything so I gathered up my courage and opened the door to find Alex looking small and forlorn there on the bed, still in her tee and jeans, before she looked up in surprise.

"Oh, Maura… um, is everything ok?"

"That was going to be my question Alex, are you all right?" For a moment I thought she was going to try and deny it or attempt to deflect my question as I made my way to the bed and sat next to her, before Alex shook her head and spoke.

"I'm sorry, it's nothing, don't worry" '_A bit of both it seems_'. I reached out and took her hand in mine.

"Alex, please, tell me what is bothering you, let me help" She shook her head again, her voice soft and sadness visible in her eyes.

"There's nothing you can do, just let me be and I'll be ok"

"We are your friends Alex, we are here to help you, if you will let us" Alex refused to meet my eyes, something very unusual for her.

"I'm fine"

"That's not my diagnosis" We both looked up to see Natalie standing in the open doorway, looking lovely in her favourite white bikini, sunglasses pushed up to the top of her head, keeping her hair out of her face. "No one looks that miserable without a damned good reason" I could see Liv standing in the hallway behind her, uncertainty and concern writ large on her face before Natalie pushed the door shut and walked over to sit on Alex's other side. "C'mon Alex, talk to us, that's what we're here for" I caught Natalie's worried glance and spoke up.

"Alex, please let us help" She shook her head as I saw tears forming in the corner of her eyes, unconsciously I reached out and wrapped my arms around her, feeling Natalie's arms slide past mine as she did the same, feeling Alex's shakes and shudders as she cried.

We sat there with her, each whispering reassurances to her, before finally she calmed. Finally she sat back and we gave her some space.

"Al, what's bothering you, c'mon, spill it" Natalie smiled as I nodded, backing her up.

"Alex, you can tell us anything, we will never judge"

"It's stupid, it's nothing" We both shook our heads as we both went to speak, before breaking off. Natalie flashed a quick smile and made an 'after you' gesture, as I smiled at her courtesy and continued.

"If it has made you unhappy, then it is not 'nothing' as you put it. Something has upset you and we would like to help set it to right"

Over the next few minutes, in fits and starts, the truth emerged. The shooting that had nearly ended her life had left noticeable scarring across the front and back of her left shoulder, completely understandable given the nature of the trauma experienced.

Unfortunately for Alex, brought up by her unreasonably demanding parents to deliver nothing less than absolute perfection, in her eyes the scar was a horrible disfigurement. The attack had left Alex as badly scarred psychologically as physically; the resultant thrust into witness protection had ripped her from the company of friends who might have helped her come to accept the scarring as an unfortunate but minor consequence of the attack.

The situation hadn't been helped by her mother's horrified reaction upon first seeing it, telling her to keep the scar covered so that no one would see the 'hideous flaw'. Her father had also had difficulty dealing with it, their perfect child marred by imperfection.

I looked up as Alex haltingly spoke to see the raging anger in Natalie's eyes, anger I too was feeling; to treat your child so, it was unforgivable. My parents may have been distant as I grew up but they always accepted me, no matter how much I was different from other children, encouraging my interests and supporting my desire to learn.

"It doesn't bother Liv thank god; I couldn't handle it if she said anything about it. She just says its means I survived, nothing more. But I don't want anyone else to see it, I couldn't handle how they'd see it, the look, the pity in their eyes" Natalie looked at me then spoke, her voice soft.

"Alex honey, we'd never judge you, we're your friends and we'd never dare judge you. You're beautiful, everyone can see that. A scar can't possibly detract from the beauty of who you are" I nodded.

"A scar is simply a sign of trauma, a sign that you survived" I looked up to see Natalie's eyes narrow as she nodded to herself, obviously my words had struck a chord, before she stood and made her way to the door. Liv was still waiting there outside and I could hear their conversation, even though they kept their voices low.

"Liv, go tell Jane and Ana they have five minutes to both be in bikini's and back outside, Jane can get one of Maura's for Ana as she doesn't have one here. Tell them it's not a request and it's not negotiable, ok?" I saw Olivia's eyes widen at Natalie's unaccustomed no-nonsense, almost harsh tone before Natalie spoke again. "Now please Liv" Shutting the door she turned and walked back to the bed, returning to Alex's side as I spoke again.

"Alex, the fact that you are carrying a scar from an attempt on your life means nothing, not compared to the fact that you are here with us now. We love you scar and all; if that scar means that you survived to be here with us, then I welcome it" Natalie nodded then spoke, her voice quiet.

"Scars don't disfigure you Alex, they simply mean something bad happened and you got better. It's like an appendix scar or a C-section, just mileposts on your life's journey, showing what's happened. I've got them, Maura's got them, do you think less of us because of them?" Alex shook her head. I thought that she was agreeing with us, until she spoke.

"I was told that as a Cabot the only standard was perfection. If you couldn't be perfect then life wasn't worth living, you were a failure" Her hand lifted to her shoulder, then dropped. "This changed me, I failed and now I carry this with me as a permanent reminder" I felt anger rise up inside me, who had filled Alex with this foolishness? Who had made this strong, accomplished woman so doubt herself? I could see the same anger in Natalie's eyes, matching mine. With effort I turned my attention back to Alexandra as she continued.

"I was brought up to be perfect, to seek perfection, to achieve it, to always look perfect" Alex blinked tears away. "To look less than perfect was unacceptable to my parents and this means I'm flawed, something to hide away so that no one sees it, so no one knows" Natalie smiled gently.

"We know and we think you're perfect just the way you are" I nodded.

"Obviously Olivia knows and neither cares nor let it bother her" I ducked my head to look into her eyes. "Has Olivia ever, by word or deed, ever made you feel less than perfect, no matter what" Alex shook her head slowly, the words soft.

"No never, she couldn't" That got a soft snort from Natalie.

"That's good, otherwise I'd have to kill her and I kinda like Liv too much to want to do that" That quip drew a quiet, brittle laugh from Alex.

"I'd miss her if you did that and I don't want to have to prosecute my friend for murder" Natalie smiled.

"Good thing it's not important to us then" Alex's chin dropped to her chest as she looked down at her hands clenched in front of her.

"They say I'm ugly and that I've failed the family, that no one will want to marry me now and I won't have children to carry on the Cabot name" I felt my jaw drop as Natalie's eyes narrowed in blazing rage, her voice low and rippling with angry fury.

"Who said that?" Alex's voice was low and wan.

"My parents, when they saw it. They told me to never show anyone" Natalie's jaw clenched as I felt my own surge of shock and anger race through me, how in the name of everything could the parents of someone so lovely have done this to their child? I exchanged a worried glance with Natalie, I knew that we'd have to handle this extremely carefully with Jane and Ana, they were as protective of Alex as they were of Natalie and I, they were likely to take this as a very, very personal affront and might be willing to take matters into their own hands in seeking restitution.

I looked down to see Alex's hands wringing, without thought I reached out and enfolded one hand in mine, Natalie following my lead and taking Alex's other hand, holding it tightly, trying to convey our strength, our belief in her through to her. We sat there for many long minutes, just talking, endlessly explaining how her scar meant nothing to us, not compared to the beautiful person we were privileged to call our friend, we went over it again and again even though it felt like we were not achieving much.

Finally Natalie coaxed Alex out of the room to where Olivia waited and then led us out onto the pool deck to find Anastasia and Jane waiting for us wearing bikinis. Natalie led Alex over to where Anastasia was sitting on a recliner and asked her to stand, before carefully leading Alex onto her knees in front of Anastasia. With both of them settled she reached out and with a gentle touch Natalie traced over two pale scars on her lover's torso.

I hadn't really seen them up close before; each was an inch and a half long; my training and experience was telling me a wide, thick bladed knife, possibly with a serrated edge. The upper location would have seen a lung punctured, the lower wound would have hit the stomach and possibly the intestines, either could have been lethal, the fact she'd survived them both was a particularly fortunate miracle.

Natalie asked Alex to touch the scars but when she didn't move, took Alex's hand in her own and traced Alex's trembling fingers over them. When she spoke her voice was low and full of emotion, I could sense Olivia and Jane standing there silently watching as she spoke.

"These scars came from a sex slaver who stabbed her when Ana cornered him, but they don't detract one iota from her beauty" Natalie's hand dropped away, leaving Alex's fingers to gently trace the lower scar, before she spoke again, her voice low and soft. "In fact they make her even more beautiful in my eyes" There was silence as Alex slowly nodded, before Natalie looked up into Ana's eyes and spoke. "My beautiful Tsarina, what do these scars mean to you my love?" There was silence for a moment, then Anastasia spoke, equally low and soft.

"That I was stupid, that I put myself in danger and risked everything for a scumbag that wasn't worth it" She was silent for a moment before speaking again, her voice even softer. "It made me realise what was really important to me, the only important thing, Natalie; everything else was nothing compared to her" Natalie nodded slowly, still staring into Anastasia's eyes.

"And these scars are a sign she survived, to be here with me today, rather than a horrible symbol, they stand for the love we have, the pain we've overcome to be together" She paused and then looked across to Alex. "I love every single inch of her, how then could I not love these, they're a part of her, I love them too"

There was silence for a moment, as I saw a tear escape down Natalie's cheek, before she leaned in and kissed each scar, slowly, softly, reverently. Finally she leaned back and looked up into Ana's face, glittering blue eyes locking with tender grey ones, speaking to her as if the rest of us weren't really there, this was a moment for just them.

"These show me that Ana survived, that she could have died but didn't, that she lived, each day they tell me that she lived to be with me and that each day should be lived to the fullest, not regretted" I confess I felt a slight lump in my throat at her words, the love in them.

Natalie rose to her feet and leaned in, kissing Anastasia just as she had kissed her scars, slowly and reverently, full of love. Finally they broke apart and Natalie looked down and smiled, before taking Alex's hand and helping her rise to her feet gracefully, before turning and leading her the few steps to where Jane and I were standing, Natalie smiling softly at us both and passing Alex's hand to me as I smiled in return, understanding what I had to do, before slowly kneeling in front of Jane, gently tugging Alex down beside me. Settling there side by side, I reached out and softly ran my fingers over the scar in Jane's torso, feeling the first prickle of tears as I looked up into Jane's warm brown eyes, seeing the love and compassion there.

"Jane, my wonderful, darling Jane, what does this scar mean to you?" Her voice was soft but clear.

"That no one was going to harm you; that I'd rather die than let them; I'd do anything to make sure nothing happened to you, no matter the cost"

I nodded slowly, feeling an echo of the dreadful pain of that day, when she'd pulled Bobby Merino's gun to her torso and forced his finger onto the trigger, shooting them both rather than let him carry out his threat to shoot me where I stood to create a diversion for his escape.

I gently reached out and ghosted my fingers across her scar tissue, feeling it once again. I felt the tears trickling down my cheeks as I spoke, my voice calm despite the aching sadness those memories brought with them.

"Touch it Alex, see that it is simply a scar, one that it in no way detracts from Jane's beauty nor the overwhelming love I feel for her" Her trembling hand came up and ghosted over the scar as tears fell from her eyes. "To me, this scar and the scars on Jane's hands mean that Jane survived the worst that the world could throw at her and that she is still here with me. It shows that she is a fighter; that she will fight for me and fight to keep herself safe to come home to me"

I leant forward, feeling the same love and devotion that Natalie must have felt as I kissed Jane's scar gently, with something of the same reverence, feeling Jane's vibrant life under my hands and lips, reaffirming that she was here with me, living and loving and real.

Finally I stood, lifting Alex with me as I did, till we stood there together, before Jane leaned in and kissed me, soft and gentle, a promise of the love we were still to share.

Finally stepping back I looked to Alex, who was wiping at her eyes and smiled.

"Now do you see Alex? Scars do not detract from you, nor mar your perfection, they instead become part of that perfection, signifying success, that you survived to live and love"

Alex's hand reflexively lifted to her left shoulder, on top of the tee she wore. Before I could speak Natalie, who I hadn't realised was standing there by Alex's side, leant in and pulled the tee to one side, exposing the scar on her shoulder. Alex flinched and went to pull away and hide it but Jane's low, throaty voice stopped her.

"Please, don't hide from us Alex, we're your friends, we don't judge you"

The scar and its surrounds were noticeable, jarring against the alabaster skin. Looking at it I could see the work of the surgeons to save her life, given the location and the scale of the damage the scars, the spider web of lines, were not too bad for the work had been done with skill and care.

I leant in and looked Alex in the eye, capturing her deep blue eyes, seeing tears forming there.

"Alexandra Cabot, this scar is not ugly, it is a sign that you survived to live the life you deserve, with the one you dreamed of, that you survived in the face of hatred and fear to experience a love like no other"

Natalie was nodding, before leaning in and kissing Alex's scar gently, her lips ghosting across it, then lifting away to look into Alex's eyes, glittering blue eyes meeting tear-filled blue.

"Alex, someone sought to take you away from the ones who love you, but you survived. Today you're here with us, living and loved, while the scumbag who did that to you is rotting in jail. While they're looking forward to a life behind bars, you have the rest of your life with Liv to look forward to"

Jane smiled, moving to stand next to me as she slid her arm around my waist.

"Alex, when I first met you, I thought you were as pretty as Maura. You were wearing that slinky red dress in that store and you looked amazing. Nothing, nothing, I've seen since changes that opinion, you're still as pretty as Maura and that scar doesn't mean anything except you survived, still alive and still beautiful" I could see more tears falling down Alex's cheeks as Ana chuckled, moving to stand next to Natalie, pulling her close.

"Bit hard for me to top that, so I won't try. Anyone who sees that scar and thinks anything less of you is a fool. If they say anything, no matter who it us, tell me, or tell Jane or Liv and we'll kick their ass" She shrugged. "You're beautiful, we see it and at the end of the day we're family, we're all that matters" By now the tears were running freely down Alex's cheeks as Olivia gathered her into her arms, warm brown eyes staring into moist blue.

"Alex, you are more beautiful today than you were when I first met you" She leaned forward to place a gentle kiss to Alex's forehead, before leaning back to continue.

"That ambitious blonde bitch, full of piss and wind, the one who blew into SVU on her way to the DA's office and maybe the Governor's mansion, she was a pain in the ass but she was beautiful. You here today are far more beautiful than that woman could ever be" The smile she turned on Alex was pure undiluted love.

"That woman was beautiful but cold, the ice princess, or so we thought. Then we got to know you and we found that the person under the Armani armor was a person who cared as much as we did and that the cold shell was just that, a shell to protect the loving, caring, wonderful person inside. That's the Alex Cabot I fell in love with" Olivia's hands came up to rest on Alex's shoulder's as for a moment it was just the two of them.

"Not the Park Avenue Princess, not the kick-ass prosecutor, but you, the person you really are. That's the person I love, nothing changed that, not your time in Witsec, or your time in Africa and sure as hell no mark on your skin will ever change the way I love you" With that Liv leaned down and gently pressed her lips to the scar on her shoulder, her kiss obviously trying to convey everything she felt, as Alex stood there, her eyes squezed shut with tears coursing down her cheeks.

Finally Liv's head rose from Alex's shoulder, as Alex's eyes opened. They stared at each other for a moment, before they kissed, this one wasn't a kiss of passion or heat or desire, it was a tender kiss that spoke of everything Liv felt for Alex, words weren't needed, they were saying everything they needed to in that kiss.

Finally they stepped apart, still holding hands and smiling, really smiling in Alex's case, making me feel better. I doubted we had fixed everything here today, but just possibly we had started Alex on the road to healing.

Naturally it was Jane who broke the mood.

"You'd better go get changed Al, quickly" Alex looked at her and raised an eyebrow as she wiped the tears away.

"What's the hurry Jane?" She got a wicked grin in return.

"I really, really want to toss you in the pool and you're not really dressed for that right now, so go get changed, or get wet" Alex looked back at Liv who just shook her head, an expression that was pure merriment on her face.

"Might as well Angel, otherwise I'll toss you in right as you are, I've got no problems with you in a wet T-shirt" Her eyes roamed over Alex's breasts and she smiled a trifle wickedly. "In fact I might prefer it" With a laugh she lunged for Alex, getting a squeal as Alex ducked and ran into the house, Liv in close pursuit, laughter trailing behind them as Natalie smiled.

"We may not see them for a while, once Liv catches her" There were smiles all round before Ana spoke.

"I think they may have better things to do for a while" She shrugged. "Hope they don't forget lunch" Jane smiled.

"So what, it'll be totally worth it" I smiled as well, nodding, if it helped Alex, it would indeed be worth it.


	26. Chapter 26

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**26 Parental Problems**

Sharon's viewpoint

Last night had been rough, after summarily tossing her mother out into a cab and off to the hotel Brenda had been a mess, hardly surprising really. They'd previously been kind of close but her mother's inability to accept our relationship had strained that, I only hoped it hadn't broken things between them irrevocably.

We'd ended up in bed, where Brenda had cried herself to sleep on my shoulder, desperately wondering why Willie-Rae couldn't see how happy she was, how happy we were together. I'd tried to console her, but she'd been a miserable mess, something I could completely understand. My parents hadn't really understood my 'sexual reversal' as my father had called it, so they'd basically ignored the elephant in the room; they hadn't bothered to conceal their relief when my relationship with Brooke ended. Given their issues I hadn't bothered to tell them I still preferred women to men, nor that I was still sleeping with them.

As it was Saturday we'd slept in a bit, then while I'd made breakfast Brenda had confirmed that her mother had checked out of the LAX Radisson and that she was on a Delta flight back to Atlanta. The news that she was out of LA had seemed to make things a little easier for Brenda, we'd had a quiet breakfast before sharing a shower, Brenda losing herself in washing my hair, it was something she loved doing for me and I enjoyed her personal ministrations. Often we'd fool around but not this morning, Brenda was still a little too fragile.

We ended up having an intensely domestic day, we dropped our dry cleaning in, did some grocery shopping then headed home where we cleaned, changed bed linen, washed and vacuumed and spent the day doing simple things together. Brenda was obviously still a little shell-shocked from how badly things had worked out and I could see her anticipating the fall-out. By the early afternoon I'd caught her glancing at the clock regularly, no doubt working out when Willie-Rae would get home then expecting a call from her father. I'd resolved that if he called, I'd be the one to answer it, no sense letting Brenda take the full force of a parental tantrum if I could soften the blow.

We were both surprised however when no call came. Over a cup of herbal tea (for me) and coffee (for her) we'd discussed the possible reasons and ramifications, everything from Willie-Rae not telling him, heaven knows why though, through to Clay not really caring, though neither of us believed that for a moment. After talking round and round the issue till we were dizzy I'd eventually put my foot down and dragged her out to our local Indian restaurant for a filling meal of Rogan Josh, Butter Chicken and Lassi before we headed home to watch something mindless on cable.

It'd been good, we'd laughed at some silly Jennifer Anniston rom-com before watching a strange cop movie about police in a dystopian future; called Dredd, starring the doctor from the new Star Trek movies, it was a look into a particularly grim future.

We'd started out laughing about the lack of due process and procedures, but as the movie went on it became obvious that was part of the point, when society became close to ungovernable, you either had anarchy or you cracked down hard. In this case Mega City One as the place was called, had gone down the 'Judge, Jury, Executioner' path; ironic really as the cops were actually called Judges.

We'd sat on the sofa afterwards talking about how far removed from reality Dredd was, only to come to the somewhat uncomfortable realisation that if you strip away some of the veneer of civilisation then Mega City One's reality wasn't all that far-fetched. All you had to do was look at parts of Mexico where the cartels had run rampant to see that. Even here in LA there were places where the rule of law was a little lighter than it should be, where the gangs ran their own parallel system of 'justice' and 'punishment'.

The discussion was a little tense from Brenda's perspective; she was still touchy about the implications of police making life-or-death decisions following the Tyrell Baylor case. She'd made bad choices there that had nearly ended her career, would have seen her thrown in jail if Goldman had got his way.

Eventually we'd found ourselves cuddling on the sofa, the television off as we lay there in the dim light, feeling her warm body on top of me, surprising me again with her lightness, Brenda's personality was so much larger than life that it sometimes came as a surprise just how tiny she was, she'd put on a little weight since I'd started replacing her take-away addiction with proper food, partly due to her metabolism and partly due to her continuing gym and personal trainer sessions, with my encouragement she was spending more time with both and was replacing what little fat she'd been carrying with muscle, heavier but far more healthy and toned, I could feel the muscles that were developing under that lovely warm, soft skin as I held her close, her head on my shoulder.

We just lay there, just holding each other, we didn't need sex tonight; instead this was about comfort, so we talked about all sorts of meaningless things for over an hour before I felt her start to drift off. I roused her enough to head to bed, getting her to snuggle in close and rest her head on my shoulder as she wrapped herself around me. I could feel her soft warm breath on my neck, reminding me just how lucky I was to have her, she'd brought warmth and love and happiness into my life and despite all the dramas that came with them, I wouldn't change places with anyone.

The last thing I heard as I fell asleep was her voice, so soft it sounded like her breathing.

"Thank you m'love" I'm sure I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

We were up early Sunday, making our way back over to my place for a late lunch, Alex and Olivia were in town and we'd agreed they'd come over after doing some shopping. In a way I was sorry I'd missed that experience, I was sure that shopping with those three blondes would be lots of fun and I resolved to make sure I went with them the next time they were in town.

Working side by side we put together a healthy salad with plenty of marinated chicken breast for Jane, Liv and Ana in particular. All three of them spent a lot of time in the gym; building and maintaining that impressive muscle tone took a lot of effort. Mind you, I'm sure Alex, Maura and Natalie appreciated their efforts just as much as I appreciated Brenda's developing strength and stamina.

We got texts from them telling us they were on their way, eventually walking through the door just after one. For a few minutes we just caught up on what Liv and Alex had been up to back in New York, discussed their shopping expedition and generally socialised, before we ended up around the kitchen, amid offers to help with getting lunch ready.

Lunch was fun, full of happy conversation, teasing and laughter, especially once the talk turned to the Ball in New York they were going to, they were so looking forward to seeing Olivia, Ana and Jane in tuxedo's. For a moment I drifted off in a daydream, imagining a certain Deputy Chief in a fitted tuxedo, she'd be sexy as anything, only to notice Brenda scrutinizing me the same way; it didn't take much to realise she was picturing me in one, from the small smile on her lips she obviously found the image a pleasant one too.

It must have shown, as Alex immediately asked if we could come too. Ana and Nat could be Maura's guests and we could be hers, all part of a great night out. Brenda and I exchanged a glance and a silent conversation, we both wanted to go but regretfully we knew there was no way we'd be able to get away, Pope was antsy enough as it was when one of us was away, having both of us out of town, together with three other senior members of his team was definitely not going to happen, not without lots of notice, something we didn't have this time round.

The others were really disappointed as we explained our reasoning, but understold the reality. They did however extract our promise that we'd come next year, as to which we'd happily agreed long as we got plenty of notice. It gave us something to look forward to and we got a promise that they'd take lots of photos of the Ball and the girls in their tuxes.

After lunch we threw everything in the dishwasher and settled back in the lounge room, we didn't have as many lounges as Maura and Jane's place so we ended up with Alex sitting in Liv's lap next to Maura, while Jane was sitting on the floor with her back to the sofa, leaning up against Maura's legs, one hand wrapped around Maura's calf as the blonde toyed with the short hairs at the back of Jane's neck, occasionally Jane would lean back into her touch like a cat being stroked, while Brenda snuggled in close to my side as Natalie and Ana occupied the third couch.

The conversation flowed easily for a while before Willie Rae's visit came up at Natalie's question.

"Sorry you couldn't make it yesterday; I understand that things didn't go as well as they might have on Friday night?" Brenda grimaced.

"You could say that, yeah" Maura nodded.

"It would be a shock Brenda, your parents have known you a particular way all their life, suddenly you tell them that your personal preferences in lovers have changed 180 degrees, that alone is a significant change for them to absorb, it will take them a while to come round" There were a few nods as Brenda looked round their faces.

"Was that what happened with you? Did they eventually come round?" Natalie shrugged.

"We were lucky, on both sides" Brenda looked down to where our hands were together, fingers entwined, giving my hand a squeeze and then looking up.

"How did it go with you? Your parents I mean, was it hard an all?" Natalie smiled as she snuggled a little closer to Anastasia.

"Mom kind of freaked out a bit when she realized I'd actually brought my lover, not my friend home. She looked in on us late the first night we were there and saw the two of us asleep in the same bed, obviously naked" She and Ana shared a grin at the memory. "Dad was pretty cool about it, all things considered" She snickered. "Dad told her I could have done a lot worse and if she thought back to some of the guys I'd dated when I was younger, I had" Brenda looked skeptical.

"So she accepted it that easily?" Natalie shook her head.

"It took her a while to talk herself round to the idea; I mean it was a surprise to learn her oldest daughter was suddenly gay. Dad was a bit more accepting early on" Ana grinned and took up the story.

"Yeah, Nat's mom Christie cornered me one afternoon while Nat was off down in one of the barns with Peter, her dad. We were alone and she gave me the third degree, asked me why I thought I was good enough for her daughter" Olivia was the first one to respond, beating me to it.

"What'd you say?" Ana smiled and pulled Nat a bit closer.

"I told her I wasn't, that Natalie was the best thing to ever happen to me and that I'd spend every day for the rest of my life trying to be good enough for her" Ana shrugged gently as Nat gave her a quick hug. "I don't think she was expecting that level of honesty really" She smiled down at Nat, obviously thinking back. "I sorta got the full interrogation over the next hour, how many girlfriends I'd had, how many boyfriends, what I did that made Nat happy, how she made me happy, what my family felt about it, all the sort of things you'd expect really. She just wanted to be sure I'd be good for Nat" Natalie nodded enthusiastically.

"I had a smilar discussion with my dad. He was a bit less stressed about it, he just asked was I happy, was I sure I was doing the right thing, I told him I was certain of it and I'd never been happier, which was enough for him" Alex smiled.

"You're lucky, to have your parents accept you like that" Natalie shook her head.

"Oh I wasn't out of the woods by a long shot. Dad was fine, mom on the other hand... She arranged for Dad to take Ana off into town, so it was my turn for the third degree, I wasn't expecting the Spanish Inquisition either" Olivia barked out a laugh.

"No one expects the Spanish Inquisition" I picked up the reference immediately but she got several strange looks from the others, before she could speak I jumped in with a smile.

"It's a famous old Monty Python sketch" Liv grinned.

"I love those guys, mad as anything" She took in my fond smile. "And I'm not the only one I'd say" I smiled back.

"As long as you don't bring up the dead parrot" We both chuckled as the others looked at us with some bemusement. To get us back on track Jane looked across at Anastasia.

"What about your dad?" Ana smiled softly.

"Dad didn't know until I brought Natalie home. I was scared stiff, here I was bringing my girlfriend home to tell my dad that I'd found the woman of my dreams, someone I was going to love for the rest of my life. He had no inkling that I liked girls, so I was dropping it all onto him cold" Alex leaned forward; I could tell she was fascinated.

"How'd that go?"

"Surprisingly well actually, he was calm, listened to us both, then asked me to leave the room so he could talk to Nat" She smiled into her lover's eyes as Natalie smiled in return and took up the narrative.

"Yeah, he sat there after Ana left and calmly asked me a long series of questions, bout how I felt about her, how much I loved her, how the rest of our life would go, children, my family, you name it, he asked. Finally after about half an hour he called Ana back in and told us how lucky we both were to have found someone so special to love" Ana nodded enthusiastically.

"You can imagine the state I'd wound myself into, my dad interrogating my girlfriend, I'd damn near chewed my fingernails to the bone" She looked over at Nat. "Fortunately Nat had turned on the charm, he called me back in and gave us his complete blessing, told me he now had two daughters"

Brenda nodded slowly, I could see her comparing that response to Willie Rae's and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She glanced at me with a grateful look before looking back at them.

"You were both very lucky" They unconsciously nodded in synchronization before Ana spoke.

"Yeah, we know we are" Natalie smiled.

"Very"

I felt Brenda stir beside me before she looked over at Alex and Liv, where Liv was sitting next to Maura, Alex snuggled comfortably in her lap.

"What about your parents?" Liv shrugged.

"My mom died before Alex and I became an acknowledged couple" She pulled a face. "She may have had some inkling that I was interested in Alex, on the few times we sat down and really talked in the last decade I probably talked more about her than anything else, but as far as she knew, I was straight as" She shrugged again. "At least I was until Alex came along" She turned and pressed her lips to Alex's shoulder, making Alex smile softly before Liv continued. "I mean most of us were, till the right person came along" She looked round the room, getting nods from Jane, Brenda and Natalie, before smiling. "It just took the right person" I felt Brenda's hand squeeze mine and turned my head to see her looking at me, her eyes soft and shining, before she leaned in, speaking softly to me.

"Good thing you were my right person then" I smiled, noticing that each of the other couples were equally involved with one another right now, probably expressing the same sentiments. I leaned forward, capturing Brenda's mouth in a sweet, soft kiss, before Brenda pushed forward, her tongue darting into mine as she let me feel some of the ardour we normally saved for bed. Anywhere else I might have been embarrassed, but not here with these people, our closest friends.

After a minute or two in which the room was quiet, we finally came up for air. I hopped up and wandered round, refreshing everyone's drinks as Ana set the ball rolling again, looking over at Alex and smiling.

"How'd it go with your parents?" Alex looked thoughtful for a moment.

"As well as can be expected, all things considered I suppose. I mean I'd realised at college that I was interested in girls, I'd had some experiences with guys but I'd attracted a lot of jocks and I was young and stupid enough to fall for the body, not the brain" She turned her head to look at Liv. "Nothings changed really" She smiled at Liv's yelp of protest, then giggled at the offended look on her detective's face, one that drew smiles around the room as she spoke up.

"I'll have you know I'm more than just a hot body, I have a brain too" Alex took on an aloof air.

"Well, it's not the brain I'm cuddled up to on those cold winter nights, though it does have its uses I'll admit, mostly for things like remembering my coffee order" She got a dark look from Liv, though we could all hear the teasing in their voices.

"So you only love me for my body, not my brain? I'll remember that counsellor, don't you worry about that"

"Perhaps not only your body, but I know which part I like the best" From Liv's narrowed eyes I could tell Alex would be paying for that comment later, a penalty I was sure they'd both enjoy. Looking up Alex smiled.

"As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted…" She paused but Liv, perhaps wisely, said nothing. "…I realised my sexuality after I had a relationship with another girl who was studying law with me. She was gorgeous and had previously made it clear she was interested in me, I was on the rebound from yet another dumb, muscle-bound jock and she was there, offering sympathy and comfort" Alex smiled softly, it was obviously a good memory. "She basically seduced me and opened my eyes to what I'd been missing"

I finished refreshing everyone's drinks and sat back down, felling Brenda move in close again as I settled once more into the warmth I got from having her near. Alex too snuggled a little closer into Liv's embrace before continuing.

"I had something of an epiphany, after that I knew what I'd been missing and after a few more experiences basically accepted that I was gay. My parents weren't terribly amused, their plans had me marrying someone appropriate, someone whose family, wealth and connections would help me succeed in politics, getting me into the Mayor or Governor's jobs" She made a 'whatever' gesture. "That was their plan and I went along with it out of family loyalty, they tried to get me married off, even to the point of forcing me into an arranged engagement but in the end I realized their vision wasn't what I wanted. I'd met someone who didn't fit their plan but she'd stolen my heart and that was that" Liv leaned up to kiss her temple, making Alex smile before she continued. "I was sure that Liv didn't feel the same way about me, so I tried to move on, do what my family wanted, but it was never going to work. They tried to get me married off to produce heirs but I couldn't be with a guy and any of the women I slept with weren't Liv, so I was pretty sure I was going to be lonely for the rest of my life" She shared a smile and a meaning-laden look with Liv before looking round the room. "Fortunately one afternoon in New York we met Maura and Jane here and everything changed" There were smiles all-round the room before she continued. "My parents preferred not to discuss the matter, I was a dreadful disappointment to them in that regard" Liv snorted, a scowl on her face.

"Too stupid to see their daughter's happy, all they can see is what they wanted, not what you wanted" Alex nodded, her head on Liv's shoulder before she looked round at the rest of us.

"My parents wanted a son; they even had one of the traditional Cabot names selected, Alexander. Then they found out I was arriving and things went out the window" She half-shrugged. "My family is very traditional..."

"Hide bound and stubborn you mean" Liv interrupted, getting a fond smile from Alex; obviously it was a long-running thing for them.

"Well yes, that too, anyway, they decided that my gender shouldn't prevent me from fulfilling the Cabot destiny as they saw it. The right schools, the right degree, the right career, the right marriage to someone who could help my progress to a high political office, they knew exactly what they wanted"

"Jesus Alex, that sucks" It was Ana. "Whatever happened to following your heart and doing what you wanted to do?" Alex smiled at her, a little sadly.

"Not part of the Cabot family plan for world domination I'm afraid" Jane shook her head.

"I take it they don't approve of what's happened with you two?" Alex shook her head, blonde locks flowing over her shoulders.

"Not particularly. They tended to blame everything that's happened on Liv. According to them, if she hadn't been there when I did what was supposed to be a short, politically useful stint at SVU then my career wouldn't have got off track. If she hadn't been such a 'distraction' as they put it, I would have moved on to another role, if I hadn't been 'infatuated' with her; again their word, I would have found a nice, rich, politically and socially connected man to marry, If I hadn't fallen for her I wouldn't have ended up prosecuting Velez and getting shot, then pushed into witness protection" I'd been quiet, listening to her words but couldn't keep silent.

"It seems that in their minds Olivia is the personification of every disappointment they have about you. Every choice you've made, they blame Olivia, even though you're your own woman, making your own decisions. It hardly seems particularly honest on their part" Alex turned those piercing blue eyes on me and nodded.

"It wasn't. They had my life all planned out, when that plan won't off the rails it was easier to blame someone else rather than admit that life wasn't going to bend to accommodate their desires" Brenda stirred next to me.

"You don't have any siblings do you Alex?" I swallowed a smile; Brenda wasn't dumb; far too many people underestimated her thanks to the accent and the looks. Alex however was too smart, too used to reading people, to make that mistake.

"No, I was a difficult birth, after they had me they tried again, but the doctors told them that my mother couldn't have any more" Brenda nodded.

"So they loaded up all their hopes and dreams onto you..."

"Pretty much, I was their only hope. Needless to say I was a dreadful disappointment..."

"More fool them" It was Natalie; I'd wondered how long she was going to be able to stay silent. She was far too fiercely proud and protective of her friends to do so for long. "Their daughter is one of New York's most successful prosecutors, the UN can't sing your praises highly enough for the work you did in the Congo, other areas can't wait for you to leave SVU so they can get you working for them and the media describe you as one of New York's most feared prosecutors" She shook her head. "What the hell more do they want?" Alex's eyebrows rose.

"Where'd you hear all that?" Natalie shrugged.

"There's this nifty new thing called the internet…" At Alex's skeptical scowl she looked sheepish. "I called up someone I used to work with back in news in Seattle, Stephanie Church, I was with King 5, she was with our affiliate Kong 16, Steph's now an investigative journalist at WPIX in New York so I gave her a call and she gave me all the gossip" Alex gave her a hard look for a second, before nodding.

"I forgot you're a nosey reporter at heart" She got a quick grin from Natalie before Brenda spoke up.

"Will they ever come to terms with your being with Liv?" I could hear the unspoken question in Brenda's voice, she was hoping for something to give her hope with her own parents. Unfortunately Alex shook her head.

"My mother passed away not long after Liv and I got together last year while my father, who still disapproves of my 'lifestyle choices' as he puts it, he's in the cancer ward in Southampton Hospital, out on Long Island" I felt Brenda suddenly tense next to me, her hand clenching mine tightly.

"Oh god, I'm sorry Alex, I really am, I didn't mean to bring up anything like that, I'm so sorry" Alex smiled sadly and shrugged as Liv hugged her a little tighter.

"You weren't to know Brenda, besides, my parents choices were theirs, mine are mine alone and I know I've made the right one" There was a chorus of agreement around the room as Liv gently kissed Alex on the cheek then, when Alex turned to her, a deeper one on the lips. It went on for long enough that Jane eventually called them on it.

"Get a room you two!" Both Liv and Alex turned shit eating grins on Jane, who made a gagging sound. Before Jane could dig herself deeper Brenda bailed her out, calling across to her and Maura.

"What about your parents?"

Jane turned her head and exchanged a look with Maura, who nodded in a 'you first' gesture, and then turned back to us.

"My Ma's the meddling Italian momma from central casting, always trying to set me up with good Italian boys from nice families. I'd got tired of it a long time ago, I'd come to terms that the person I wanted was out of my reach, but I really didn't want anyone else, even though I couldn't have the person I loved" She shrugged as Maura leaned forward to lay her hand on Jane's shoulder, Jane unconsciously tilting her head to rest her cheek on Maura's fingers, obviously drawing comfort from the contact.

Glancing around the room I noticed each couple was very tactile. Natalie snuggled into Ana with the brunette's arm around her shoulders; Alex sitting happily in Liv's lap, not to mention Brenda was sitting curled up against me from shoulder to knee, our fingers entwined.

"Anyway, once Maura and I finally got a clue, I moved in later that week, which wasn't all that difficult as half my clothes were in Maura's spare room anyway. We'd discussed it and decided we'd break it to my Ma the following weekend, she was bound to find out as she was living in Maura's guest house out back of the main house" Jane barked out a laugh. "Ma rang me early on Saturday morning, not realising I was actually upstairs in Maura's bed, she'd called to tell me she'd arranged a date for me that night with the son of a friend of hers" Jane rolled her eyes as Maura chuckled at what was obviously a good memory.

"I told her I wasn't interested, at which point she asked me what was wrong with 'that nice Carlucci boy who's a dentist' and why wouldn't I give him a chance" She put it in air quotes. "I looked over at Maura, who was trying to drag me back into bed, thought '_what the hell_'' and told Ma that I preferred that nice Isles girl who was a doctor. Well you could have heard a pin drop at that, for all of five seconds" Jane chuckled, joined by most of us. "Then the phone erupted; how long this had been going on, why hadn't I told her, you name it" She shrugged. "I told her about a week and we were going to tell her that weekend, so I said we'd see her for dinner on Sunday night, until then we had better things to do and she should stay out of Maura's place for the rest of the day, unless she wanted to see a lot more than she really wanted" There was a rustle of laughter at that as both Jane and Maura wore matching grins.

"Honestly, once she got over the fact that I'd actually found someone without her 'help' she eventually calmed down" Jane shrugged. "It kinda helped that she already considered Maura like a daughter, she'd always wanted me to date a doctor and after 'someone' explained in way too much detail the various ways two women could provide her with grandkids, she settled down" Maura chuckled.

"Let us be honest Jane, it was either that or Angela was going to suggest that I use sperm from either Tommy or Frankie" She looked up at us and explained. "Jane's brothers" Jane pulled a dreadful face at her words.

"Eww Maura, that's just so wrong….I still have issues at the thought of anything from my brothers being inside you" Maura gazed fondly down at the back of Jane's head.

"It was just a suggestion, one which I was happy to head up at the pass" Jane's eyebrow lifted as she half-turned her head to look at Maura, patting her knee as she did.

"Off Maura, its head **off** at the pass" Maura nodded, you could almost see her storing that away in a filing system.

"Oh, thank you" I nodded, before looking over at Maura.

"So what about you Maura, how did your parents take the news?" Maura's smile faded as she leaned forward closer to Jane, I noticed that Jane reached back over her shoulder to lay her hand on Maura's.

"I informed my parents via email, as they travel extensively. My mother knew Jane and approved of her as my friend, however neither thought Jane was an appropriate partner for me" Her mouth twisted slightly, obviously Maura did not appreciate her parent's reaction. "They felt that I could do better" Natalie frowned.

"As if" Maura smiled slightly at her words before continuing.

"They felt that someone from my own stratum of society would be a more suitable choice for marriage 'to an Isles' as they put it" I saw Alex lean forward to place her wine glass down on the table, before settling back in Liv's embrace and speaking.

"Given how many people from 'our stratum of society' as they put it…" Her voice showed what she thought of that concept. "…are oxygen thieves, there's much to be said for not settling" Maura and Alex shared a look, both were daughters of wealth and privilege though you wouldn't know it from the careers they'd chosen, both could have led lives of indolent luxury, instead both had devoted their lives, at considerable personal risk, to putting criminals away. "Would they have preferred you marry someone like Garrett Fairfield?" At Maura's surprised look Alex smirked.

"Oh I'd heard all about that at the time, it was quite the scandal for a while, at least amongst the Hampton's set, they couldn't believe you'd walk away from such a wonderful man" Her voice turned into a mocking parody of a vacuous socialite. "Yes darling, I couldn't believe it either, Garret's such a catch, went to all the right schools, he's on all the right boards and committee's, I mean we play tennis at the same club for goodness sake" We were left smiling at her over the top airhead delivery as she shook her head, her voice returning to normal. "Shame about the whole him being a murderer thing though, I mean he had such great pecs" Maura smiled gently.

"My parents, in their defence, were somewhat surprised he did in fact turn out to be a murderer, but they would prefer that I find a nice boy from a good family and settle down" She shrugged and leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss to the top of Jane's head, before sitting back. "I told them I had already found someone from a good family. Jane's family may not have been monetarily wealthy, but they are rich in love and they have always accepted me, made me part of their family almost as soon as we met, for which I cannot ever truly repay them" Jane turned to fully face her, looking up and pulling a face.

"Sometimes I wonder about that Maur, dragging you into the middle of the whole Rizzoli family crazy" Maura reached forward, her hand caressing Jane's cheek softly.

"Your family may not be exactly what my parents consider appropriate, but they are exactly what I need Jane" She looked round the room at us all before looking back at Jane.

"I was born a Doyle, raised as an Isles but I am a Rizzoli now. They, and you, are my family"


	27. Chapter 27

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**27 International Cooperation**

Brenda's view

I dropped back into my seat with a small sigh, before reaching into my top drawer, snagging a couple of Reece's Butter Cups and unwrapping them, popping them into my mouth one by one and smiling happily as the chocolatey goodness melted on my tongue. No matter how bad things got a little chocolate helped put everything into perspective.

Sharon worried about me, called me a diabetic-in-waiting, had occasionally tried to wean me off chocolate but fortunately the boys in my squad helped out, they each threw a few dollars a week into a pot and topped up my desk drawer, apparently the thought of an angry Chief _sans chocolate_ was too horrible to contemplate. I just smiled and said nothing, though shouting a few extra rounds at O'Malley's on drinks nights helped ease my conscience, something I was sure the boys were aware of.

Today hadn't been particularly pleasant, It'd started with a team review of where we were with the home invasion's case first thing where we'd gone over all we had, basically coming to the uncomfortable conclusion we getting nowhere fast. We were sure that the people killed in the latest home invasion were Yakuza, probably from a different clan, but we were woefully short of actual details let alone leads, all our avenues had led nowhere, something that was as frustrating to the team as it was to me.

That had been followed by an hour-long briefing with Natalie to prep for sitting down with the press, before doing three back to back interviews with the Asian-language media, something I hated. Nat had run through some of the likely questions and we'd agreed on some answers, she reminded me that the media had agreed what was on and off the table plus she'd be there in the room during the interviews, in the background but ready to step in if needed. I smiled, having her there was good, she even cracked a couple of dreadful jokes and told a very embarrassing anecdote about her and Ana that had me smiling before we started, putting me a little more at ease before we walked in to begin the first interview.

Natalie had been good as her word, with the parameters of the interview agreed beforehand, but it was still stressful, staying polite and apparently unfazed when they asked why I hadn't caught the killers and how many more home invasions were going to happen before we did. I know it was just their job but it surely didn't help, especially when I was reduced to speaking in platitudes.

That had been followed by a less than pleasant meeting with Pope, asking much the same questions I'd just finished answering with the media, but much less forgiving and not at all interested in platitudes. There was always an undertone of tension when either Sharon or I had to deal with Will, he'd made it clear that he was still interested in me and he'd asked Sharon out several times before we got together. I really don't think he'd come to truly accept that I was no longer interested in guys, or that we were together, he probably took it as some kind of personal slight that he had no chance with either of us. Will wasn't stupid enough to try anything in retaliation though, god knows we'd be bringing a world of pain down on him if he tried, but that didn't mean everything was sunshine and roses. Basically we didn't go seeking him out, just got on with doing our jobs and looked upon our meetings with him as something uncomfortable to be endured, not enjoyed.

Fortunately lunch with Maura had followed, I loved catching up with her, her calmness and quiet humour a much needed de-stress from the morning's activities, we'd swapped stories about our day over salad and a shared slice of pecan tart, before agreeing to play tennis this Saturday morning, our lunch letting me head back to my office in a much better mood than when I'd left.

We'd had the monthly department heads budget meeting with the LAPDs finance people first up after lunch, commencing with their almost obligatory statements about how dire the Department's finances were and ending just on two hours later with the almost equally mandatory calls for restraint on overtime spending. Looking round the room I saw most of the Commanders and Chief's discreetly rollin' their eyes, like criminals bothered considering the LAPD's overtime woes when actually committin' crimes. We'd exchanged a few mostly hidden smiles at the bean counters expense before escaping from their world of accounts and fiscal forecasts and such, heading back out into the real world.

Candace Morrow from HR had been next up after Finance, talking about 'professional development opportunities' for the guys in the squad, basically reminding me that I was supposed to be nudging them to seek promotions outside Major Crimes, even though the thought of losing any of them was way too painful to easily contemplate. They deserved promotions, all of them, they were all great people but I was being selfish, I really couldn't face the idea of not having them round me as we worked, they were more than my squad, they were my family too. I'd finally agreed to talk to them, mostly to get Candace off my back, even though deep down I knew she was right.

In the end that meeting had run slightly overtime, so I'd had to hustle to make the next one, a much less stressful and far more useful one with the Japanese Police.

Ana had arranged for a video conference call with a Senior Superintendent with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Minoru Genda, a serious, mid-fifties looking man who spoke textbook English and who had an encyclopedic knowledge of the Yakuza. I gathered he was one of the Tokyo Police's top in-house Yakuza specialists; he surely did know his stuff. He'd walked Ana and I, plus Maura, who was turning into our own resident Yakuza expert, through some of the background on the Yakuza, before moving to more current events, especially the move into the US by several of the biggest clans.

I was struck that in some ways they worked like a lot of other organised crime families, while exhibiting some of the same characteristics of multinational corporations. From what I'd learned they'd branched out into other countries with significant Japanese populations, in particular Sydney, Vancouver, Hawaii and now Los Angeles and were showing the first signs of interest in San Francisco.

Back home in Japan they had an unusual reputation; in the past they'd supported the same society they preyed on, providing support like food in lean times, assistance during natural disasters, medical care when the state or the feudal lords wouldn't, even today parts of Japanese society, particularly older members, still looked upon the Yakuza with, if not outright approval, a distinct lack of disapproval. The Yakuza played on that of course, in some cases they were practically an open part of society, Yakuza leaders even being interviewed on the evening news for their take on politics and other events.

That was only in Japan though, the further away from Japan they got the more they behaved like the other organised crime organisations we had here in the US like the Columbians, the Mafia, the Triads, the Russian Organizatsia, the Irish crime gangs and the Mexican cartels.

Some of the Yakuza cleaved to a semblance of the old traditions, others less so. From what Superintendent Genda told us, the three Yakuza groups operating in LA covered the scale. The biggest and longest established were the Yamaguchi-gumi, a very traditional clan. The next largest was the Sumiyoshi-rengo who still held to some of the old ways, though not as much as the Yamaguchi-gumi, while the most recent arrival was the Inagawa-kaï, who weren't all that interested in tradition, acting much more like the organised crime organisations I was used to dealing with. As they represented the three biggest and most active Yakuza groups in Japan; they also had the resources to look beyond Japan to other markets.

Based on what he told us, the people most likely to be giving us grief were the Inagawa-kaï; according to the Tokyo Police's sources the Oyabun or leader of the Inagawa-kaï had recently decided to expand his operations into California, hoping to build up an entrée into the Methamphetamine trade currently being contested between the Yamaguchi-gumi and the Sumiyoshi-rengo.

After the recent home invasion I'd learned there was apparently a busy trade acquiring Meth precursor drugs in the US and shipping them to Japan, where they were much, much harder to come by. Once there they were used to make Meth of rare purity, some of which made its way to other locations, some of it even winding up making the round trip back here to California. The trouble was it was so pure and strong that local users, used to the adulterated rubbish the local gangs cooked up, found it all too easy to overdose on the Yakuza stock that the street dealers called Cherry Blossom.

Because they were arriving late to the party, the Inagawa-kaï had to work harder to make their mark and set up both access to the precursors and distribution for their end product, Superintendent Genda suggesting that they would likely to be both overt and brutal while carving out a niche, which certainly fitted the pattern we'd seen so far.

Superintendent Genda also pointed out that although there was a statistically significant Japanese population in California, they were culturally very different from the Japanese home islands in both society and culture. That meant that the yakuza wouldn't have the same level of acceptance, specially the Inagawa-kaï given they were the most recent arrivals. It also meant they couldn't get the same kind of assistance and support they were used to back in Japan, which might play into our hands.

He'd confirmed that, based on the images that Maura had taken of the deceased that she had passed on via Ana, there were stylustic differences between the body found in the burnt out van and the dead bodies in the most recent home invasion. It was very subtle, too subtle for our unschooled eyes but he'd confirmed that they came from different Yakuza clans, most likely the Inagawa-kaï for the man in the van and the Yamaguchi-gumi for the dead Yakuza in the house. That had raised the spectre of a turf war between two criminal organisations, something no one wanted to see, let alone here in LA on my watch.

All in all it had been a very productive hour's video-conference, while it hadn't given us any specific leads; it certainly gave me a better handle on the mindset we were dealing with. After the teleconference ended we'd sat around for another fifteen minutes discussing what we'd learned, before heading back to our respective desks.

Once there I'd sat back at my desk, studiously ignoring some of the more boring paperwork by checking emails to find that Natalie had forwarded a link to the interviews I'd done earlier, two of them had already aired and the third was scheduled for tonight's cable news. I watched both of them and thought I'd come across tolerably well, I'd sounded like we were actually making progress on the case, even though I knew better. Thinking about what Superintendent Genda had said reminded me to do a little digging so I called up what we had on the Yamaguchi-gumi, they seemed to operate fairly low key here in LA compared to a lot more overt groups like the Columbians, the Mexicans, the Triad and the Mafia. Even the Russian Organizatsiya was more overt than these guys. I made a resolution to chase them up with the organised crime people as soon as I could, it was always better to know your enemy, no matter how under the radar they tried to fly.

I sat back and looked out over the Murder Room, watching my squad working away. I was very fond of them all, the thought of any of them leaving was honestly painful, but if I was going to be their friend as well as their boss I needed to start encouraging them to move onward and upward, lord knows they deserved it. As I sat there I saw Jane walk in to the squad room, holding something colourful in her hand.

Seeing her got me to thinking about her and Maura. We were so lucky to have them both, Maura was a superlative Medical Examiner, the best I've ever worked with, which was saying something as her predecessor Doctor Morales had been very, very good. She was also a wonderful friend, Sharon and I thought the world of her, she'd been a fantastic help when we'd been just starting out together and she'd been there for us every step of the way since; I counted myself very lucky to have her as my friend.

Jane on the other hand was an outstanding detective, as good as any and better than most, she had tenacity, keen intelligence, an eye for detail, empathy with the victims and her instincts were excellent. In the time she'd been with us she'd become an integral part of the team, the others trusted her and she in turn had come to trust them. She had also become a very good friend; someone I knew would stand by me, by us, no matter what.

I consoled myself that even if some of the other guys did move out; promoted into more senior roles, Jane would still be here, still a key part of the team. I was probably being selfish but she was one member I really didn't want to let go of. She was a lot more than a subordinate or colleague, she was my friend. Unconsciously following her with my eyes, I suddenly realised she was walking towards my office, something held in her hand.

"Uh Chief" I stood as she stepped into the office. "You have a package" Holding it out as she walked over to my desk I realised she was holding a shiny cylinder sealed at both ends with an embossed wax seal.

Turning it over in my hands I could see it was a cylinder made from high-quality laminated cardboard, embossed with colourful chrysanthemums and cherry blossoms, with koi fish, dragons and tigers surrounding the blossoms, all quintessentially Japanese in style. A wax seal at each end held it together, each seal bore an ornate Oriental design that had been pressed into the wax as it had cooled. The address on the cylinder was done in an ornate set of brush strokes, definitely not your usual letter.

Jane looked up at me and smiled.

"Your birthday coming up and you didn't tell me?" I smiled back.

"Not that I'm aware"

"Maybe you have a secret admirer" I snickered at that idea as I reached into my second drawer for a letter opener. With a little effort I cracked the seal at one end and fished out a tightly rolled up sheet of high quality pattern-embossed paper tied with a red ribbon. With Jane's help we unrolled it and laid it out on the table. Like the cylinder the writing was done with a fine brush, definitely something out of the ordinary.

I ran my eyes down the message, then once more, before looking up to see Jane's eyes on me as I spoke.

"Well, that's the nicest invitation to lunch I've had for a while" She smiled.

"Too bad it's from a mob boss; you think Sharon'll be jealous?" I looked up at her and smiled back.

"Maybe, I was thinking of taking a chaperone or two, just in case" Jane stood back and looked at me, shrugging.

"Can't hurt"

"How do you feel about Sushi?" She grimaced.

"Can't stand it" I nodded slowly, thinking it over.

"Then I'd better bring someone with me who likes it"


	28. Chapter 28

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**28 Meeting with the Oyabun**

Brenda's viewpoint

The restaurant was interesting, I'd never been a huge fan of Japanese cuisine, but when the head of the largest Yakuza family on the West Coast, the Oyabun of the Yamaguchi-gumi, invites you to lunch, it's probably a good idea to make an exception.

I stepped out of my car parked half a block up the street from the restaurant and settled the hidden radio earpiece in place. It was my ace in the hole in case things went wrong. I didn't expect they would, we were in a public place after all and he'd been the one to invite me in the first place, but Sharon had insisted I take some precautions. I looked up the street and smiled.

"Can everyone hear me?" I heard Buzz's reassuring voice confirming that I was coming in loud and clear to a van parked just down the street where he was recording everything, followed by Lieutenant Provenza from a car where he and Lieutenant Tao were watching the restaurant's rear.

I was about to say something when I heard two distinct metallic clicks through the earpiece, apparently a military thing, keying a radio mike twice to confirm a radio message, and smiled. "I'll take that as a yes. Please keep the talking to a minimum everyone, I want everything recorded" Buzz spoke up, confirming that the tapes were running, followed by two distinct clicks so I looked over at Maura and nodded.

"Shall we" She nodded back, a trifle nervously, until she saw Jane standing with Flynn, Sanchez and Gabriel closer to the restaurant, at which point she relaxed. I admired the trust she had in Jane to protect her and envied her that confidence, then reminded myself that I trusted Sharon just as much for the same reasons. Meeting up with the others I nodded.

"Detectives" They all nodded and we moved towards the restaurant. "We have eyes on the front and rear, so your job is to keep things quiet inside" Andy Flynn smiled.

"Got it Chief, just remember to not eat the Fugu" Maura suddenly brightened.

"Oh, do you think they will have Fugu on the menu" That is quite the delicacy" I looked between the two.

"Fugu?" Flynn grinned around his toothpick.

"Poisonous fish" Maura smiled brightly, her voice full of joy at imparting knowledge.

"The liver, ovaries and skin of the Fugu Fish, sometimes called the Puffer Fish, are poisonous, it acts as a sodium channel blocker" Jane just glanced over at her with the look of the long suffering and much put-upon.

"And that is…" Maura smiled.

"It is a natural toxin that paralyses the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious. The victim is unable to breathe, dying from asphyxiation" I nodded, a little bemused why anyone would want to eat it, before smiling at her, making light of it.

"I hope you've got an antidote on you then Maura" She turned to me, surprise on her face, as if she kept forgetting that other people didn't know the same things she did.

"Oh no, there is no known antidote" Gabriel looked a little queasy right there.

"Then why the hell do people eat it?" Maura smiled.

"Well-prepared Fugu is considered to be a rare delicacy" I shook my head again.

"Good to know, let's hope it's not on the menu" Maura of course was disappointed.

"That would be a shame" Jane and Sanchez both just silently shook their heads as we moved towards the restaurant, before Jane spoke.

"I suppose that depends on how suicidal you might be feeling" Maura was completely unfazed by Jane's sarcastic tone.

"Correct, some people do consume Fugu liver as a more traditional way to commit suicide" I just shook my head and smiled as Gabriel opened the door and I led the way into the stylish surrounds of Kagaya; one of LA's better Japanese restaurants, I was struck by how small and intimate it was, with a very café feel. I was surprised; the décor was light, mostly white and wooden furnishings, bamboo by the look of it, with a counter facing an open kitchen where the chefs were at work.

Apparently it was renowned for something called Shaba Shaba; delicious cuisine according to Maura, which was why she was walking in with me, she loved Japanese cuisine and could advise me of what I'd probably like; after all, throwing up all over the Oyabun was probably considered bad manners, maybe they'd expect me to slice my tummy open with a knife to atone or something equally silly. I reminded myself that I may have spent a little too much time dredging up old movie memories of Black Rain and the Last Samurai and resolved to concentrate on the here and now.

I saw several large men sitting at the main counter, while another stood near the rear door. I'd passed two more sitting in a car out the front, obviously he took his security seriously so I'd followed his lead; besides Maura I was accompanied by Lieutenant Flynn and Detective's Gabriel, Sanchez and Rizzoli. Jane had nearly lost her composure at my request that Maura join us, but she was our resident expert on the Yakuza and was learning to speak Japanese, so I'd been firm, Jane finally giving in with obvious misgivings.

The compromise we'd agreed was that Jane would be in the restaurant on guard, keeping an eye on us while we met with Minoru Kurita, the Oyabun. A waitress came and upon being informed I was dining with Mr Kurita bowed and led us to a table against the wall.

David and Julio took up posts near the front door, while Jane and Andy sat down at the main counter, leaving Maura and I to be led to the table occupied by two men, one older than the other, maybe mid-50s compared to the other man's late-40s. The waitress bowed and withdrew, leaving us standing there. The older man looked up at me and nodded.

"Konichiwa Miss Johnson, I am Minoru Kurita and this is my associate Shunji Isaki" I nodded.

"Good afternoon to you Mister Kurita; this is my associate Doctor Maura Isles" Maura nodded her head and spoke.

"Konichiwa Kurita Sama, Isaki San" I don't know what it meant but both nodded before Kurita indicated the empty seats across the table from him.

"Thank you for joining us Miss Johnson, Doctor Isles" I smiled, trying to ignore the fact that I was sitting down across from a major crime boss, the Japanese version of a Mafia godfather in a way, and concentrated on being polite.

"It was my pleasure, thank you for inviting us" He looked at us both for a moment, then leaned back.

"If you have not eaten at Kagaya before I can suggest a number of dishes" I smiled again and indicated Maura.

"Why thank you, thank you so much. While I haven't had the pleasure Doctor Isles here is my expert on Japanese food" He nodded and sat back as the waitress appeared, as Isaki spoke rapidly in Japanese, before the waitress moved away. Kurita looked at me and spoke.

"I have taken the liberty of ordering a drink, to lubricate our discussion" I thought about it and smiled.

"That's very kind of you" He nodded.

"It is my pleasure. I understand you are not a native of Los Angeles?" I nodded in return, Maura having warned me that excessively polite small talk was practically a requirement of Japanese business discussions, which, in a way, was what this was.

"No, I am originally from the south-east of America, Georgia actually" I smiled politely. "And you?"

"I am from Kyushu, the southernmost island of the Home Islands" Maura nodded slowly, all poise and grace as I reminded myself that she was very used to handling herself in high society.

"Kyushu, traditionally the recruiting grounds for many of the Yamaguchi-gumi is it not?"

"Indeed, you are well informed" She smiled politely and sat back as the waitress arrived with four glasses of what turned out to be Plum wine. Sweet and easy to drink, I sipped it and made a mental note to stretch this glass out; I wasn't here to get drunk.

The next ten minutes passed in rather meaningless small talk, carried on rather better by Maura than I, as I saw Jane and Andy drinking tea at the counter and keeping an eye on everything happening, while Julio and a member of what I assumed were the Oyabun's bodyguards had a mutual stare down contest near the front door, I didn't think either was going to back down anytime soon, leaving David to scan the restaurant.

Lunch was Shaba Shaba; at Maura's recommendation I went with the mix of Wagyu beef and Alaskan King Crab with oriental vegetables. You dipped the meat or vegetable into a boiling kelp broth at the table to cook to taste and then dipped into a variety of sauces to add spice; eaten with rice it was delicious and I made a mental note to bring Sharon back here, she'd love it.

Lunch passed with even more annoyingly trivial small talk, something Kurita was very good at, Isaki less so, he was a little less removed from his street thug roots, fortunately Maura was able to effortlessly carry the conversation when I grew tired of the meaningless nature of it, before we finally finished, I sat back as the waitress finished clearing the table, then looked across at my host.

"Mister Kurita, while lunch was excellent, I will remind you that I am here at your request, may I ask exactly what it was you wished to talk about?" He regarded me for a moment.

"You are direct, as I have learned is the way of Americans" I smiled my best politician's smile.

"I find getting to the heart of the matter avoids everyone's time being wasted" He inclined his head.

"You are investigating a series of assaults on members of the city's Asian community" It wasn't a question so I waited, holding myself impassive. This wasn't my normal interrogation room, but the same rules applied. He regarded me for almost a minute before making a noncommittal move with his head. "The individuals responsible for those attacks are, as you have surmised, members of the Yakuza" I nodded.

"You're simply confirming what we already know" I saw Isaki's eyes narrow; his self-control wasn't as strong as Kurita's. Kurita remained impassive; apparently controlling one's emotions was considered good form for the head of a criminal empire.

"The individuals in question are not members of the Yamaguchi-gumi. They are members of the Inagawa-kaï, a completely different organisation" I sipped at the second half of my Plum wine before putting the glass down and nodding.

"I appreciate that as well" Kurita watched me for a few seconds before he spoke again.

"They have only recently arrived here in Los Angeles, having been here for less than three months. They are made up of a number of individuals who support a rising star within the Inagawa-kaï, Shinzo Abe" Maura and I both nodded as Kurita continued. "Abe is an ambitious man with intentions to rise above his station quickly, causing problems for the Oyabun of the Inagawa-kaï" I nodded again; politics, the root of oh so many, many problems. Kurita was still speaking. "By sending them to America he is ostensibly giving Abe a chance to carve out a profitable niche and make his mark, proving he is ready for further rise within the organisation" I pursed my lips.

"Also sending him somewhere where any successes he achieves are muted by distance and he is cut off from support if something should go wrong" Kurita regarded me for a moment then nodded once as he spoke.

"An accurate summation of the circumstances" I shrugged.

"I may not be all that familiar with the Yakuza, but politics is something I've been forced to learn" He nodded once more.

"Politics indeed; Abe was accompanied here by a number of others, key supporters and those who had attached themselves most closely to his coat tails" Maura nodded, I could tell she was fascinated, then spoke.

"Placing all of the potential troublemakers in one place, far removed from Japan" Kurita favoured her with a nod.

"Yes, if Abe succeeds in growing the reach, power and influence of the Inagawa-kaï here in California, his success strengthens the Oyabun's hand, making it seem if the Oyabun chose wisely. If however Abe is unsuccessful, he is seen to have been given a chance to succeed and failed" I nodded, politics was pretty universal.

"And if the Police were to shut his operation down and capture or kill him, then his failure would be complete" Maura glanced at me as I finished then looked across the table.

"Not to mention the failure would be at a considerable distance from the centre of power and influence for the Inagawa-kaï, costing them little and barely inconveniencing the Oyabun" Kurita smiled tightly and sat back.

"Exactly, an elegant response to an internal problem" I frowned.

"It would also remove your rival here in LA" He smiled again, though there was no warmth in it.

"There is that benefit as well" I toyed with the stem of my glass for a moment, drawing out the silence before finally speaking.

"Surely Abe saw the risks, why did he walk into what looks like a situation with damn near no upside and plenty of downside?" Kurita's hands gestured as he spoke.

"Like many such men, his ambition is a driving factor; he is young and lacks patience. Change comes slowly in organisations such as ours, we are many hundreds of years old and our traditions are not to be quickly tossed aside for the sake of expediency or ambition" His mouth twisted with distaste. "For example, he styles himself the local Oyabun" I pursed my lips.

"From what I'm told your traditions don't include home invasions, rape and murder of civilians either" Kurita's jaw tightened.

"Not…normally, no" I sat back and thought about it for a moment. Abe had embarked on his crime spree not long after he'd arrived, what he was doing was bound to attract police attention, so why do it… My mind raced through the facts for a few seconds before they clicked into place, I looked up.

"He's on the clock. He sees that he doesn't have a lot of time, so he's trying to raise a lot of money quickly, he doesn't have time to waste setting up an operation like smuggling or prostitution or the other usual methods. Like you said, he's impatient so he needs to make cash quickly so he can fund other operations" Kurita raised an eyebrow as I continued thinking about it, pushing the pieces of the puzzle into place. By killing people Abe was not only attracting attention, he was sending a message, but to who… I stared across at Kurita.

"He's telling people like you that he's not afraid to do whatever it takes, including murder. It's why he attacked your people out in Gardena, it's a message, he's telling you to stay the hell away and not interfere" I narrowed my eyes at Kurita. "And it's worked, that's why we're sitting down here" I sat back in the chair. "You want us to do the dirty work you either won't or can't" Kurita smiled without humour.

"You wish to see his actions come to an end, as do I. A fortuitous confluence of interests" I nodded slowly.

"It could be seen like that. It could also be seen as you being afraid to cross Abe, so you're hiding from him, while giving us enough info to go after him, removing the threat while keeping your hands clean and you safe" Kurita's smile disappeared as Isaki slammed his hand down on the table, his voice rising.

"We are not afraid of them" I turned to look at him, seeing his white-knuckled fist on the table, raising one eyebrow at the display.

"Then why has Mister Kurita's family suddenly left for Japan, his daughter pulled out of school quickly?" A background check on Kurita had turned up that little nugget this morning. "It looks like someone's afraid of what Abe may be capable of"

"We are not afraid, of him or you!" I sat back, watching as Isaki's face contorted with anger before I spoke.

"The last attack in Gardena, that was an attack on his competition, your organisation. He's telling you he won't be bound by any of your conventions back home, that this is a different ball game here. He's got you targeted" Isaki turned to Kurita and spoke rapidly in what sounded like angry Japanese, making Kurita reach out and lay his hand on Isaki's forearm as he spoke, trying to calm him down. I couldn't understand what he said but it didn't calm him down, instead if anything Isaki became more heated, his voice rising. Maura sat back, leaning my way slightly and keeping her voice low.

"I am unable to follow most of it, but I think Mister Isaki is opposed to bringing us in, he wants to deal with this himself…" We were suddenly interrupted by another fist hitting the table in front of Maura. Isaki's face was red with fury.

"Shut your mouth or I will shut it for you" I noticed movement ripple through the room as Jane stood, her face cold and hard, her hand automatically sliding towards her left hip as she cleared a direct line of fire to Isaki, Andy turning to stare at some of the bodyguards seated nearby as he moved into a position where he could draw his weapon. I saw hands moving inside coats throughout the restaurant and realised Kurita's men were picking up on Isaki's anger; this could spin out of control all too quickly. I held a hand up to Jane and the others, waving them back as I stared at Isaki.

"Calm down now! Before this gets out of hand" He stared at me, a vein in his neck throbbing as he partly rose from his seat.

"Who are you to tell us what to do?" I spoke through gritted teeth.

"I'm the one with all the aces, so sit down now, while you still can"

"I do not take orders from weak women" I felt my teeth grinding as I ground out my words.

"But you will take orders from me, now sit down"" He looked like he was about to argue the toss. "Ana, the one standing in front of us, light him up" I felt a small thrill of relief as two clicks sounded in my ear, a small red dot appearing in the middle of Isaki's chest.

"Look down Mister Isaki, look down at your chest right now" I was afraid he was going to do something really stupid but a curse from Kurita grabbed his attention, as Isaki turned to see Kurita's gaze fixed on his chest. Looking down he saw a small red dot on his jacket, moving ever so gently just slightly to the left of centre, close to where his heart was. Seeing him freeze, I tried to calm things down.

"Now very carefully sit down Mister Isaki, before my friend decides you are posing a threat to Doctor Isles and I and decides to intervene; she is rather protective" I heard another two clicks in my ear and suppressed a relieved smile as Isaki slowly settled back in his seat, the red laser pointer still centred over his heart, before I looked across at Kurita. "Please ask your men to relax, we're not here for trouble, unless you want to start it" Kurita nodded once, then turned and said something in a harsh voice, making everyone jump a little, before his men forced themselves to relax, hands out where they could be seen. In turn Jane, Andy, Julio and David relaxed slightly and returned to their places though the tension remained. Kurita nodded his head once in our direction.

"It was not my intention to have trouble occur" I shrugged.

"Nor mine, but I believe in being prepared" Kurita regarded me through narrowed eyes.

"You are more…formidable than you appear" I smiled, completely without humour.

"I am supported by very good people" He nodded slowly once.

"A wise leader is known by the strength of their followers" I shrugged.

"They're not my followers, they're my friends" It was the honest truth. Kurita's eyes narrowed further as he stared at me, finally nodding once, as if to himself.

"As I said, you are formidable; with friends like these, even more so" I tilted my head.

"I find people underestimating me make mistakes" He smiled diplomatically.

"One I will not make again Chief Johnson" I sat back in my seat.

"So your people will remain calm?" He forced a slow breath out and mimicked me, settling back.

"They will" I nodded once.

"Thank you Ana; that should be fine" I heard two clicks in the earpiece as the red dot vanished, though we all knew she was out there. I looked back to Kurita, it was time to take control. "Now then, let's stop beating around the bush. Do you know where Abe and his people are hiding out?"

I could see Kurita forcing himself to relax, before he reached out and drained the last of his Plum wine.

"His men are scattered amongst the population of Gardena, hiding in plain sight" I nodded, it made sense, they could blend in amongst the area's large Japanese population. "I do know that Abe and his Wakagashira are living in Little Tokyo, exactly where I know not, though you should check restaurants" I raised an eyebrow at Maura, who leaned in and whispered.

"I believe it means second in command" I nodded as Kurita clasped his hands together and rested them on the table.

"Back home the Inagawa-kaï tend to own or operate restaurants" He shrugged. "They are useful for money laundering and drug transactions" I nodded, all those people coming and going, people walking in for takeout, handing over cash and walking away with more than just dinner. Kurita looked across the table at me.

"I have been in America long enough to understand the benefits of occasionally being blunt Chief Johnson. Abe is a dangerous man, his Wakagashira, a man named Isoroku Homoru, is an even more dangerous one. Abe kills to achieve an end, Homoru kills because he can" He looked down at the table for a moment as I recalled the man with the knife, the vision on screen of the throat being cut, nodding as he continued. "Yes, I have sent my family home because Abe has threatened them" He looked back up at me. "If I send my men after him it will ignite a war, both here and back in Japan, something in neither of our interests, so I am turning to you" I felt my mouth twist; he wanted us to do his dirty work. "I should inform you Miss Johnson, of another fact, one you may not yet be aware of" I nodded once.

"Please go on Mister Kurita, you have my attention"

The actions of Abe and his people have undermined the delicate balance between our clans here in Los Angeles; Abe has also struck at the operations of the Sumiyoshi-rengo clan. They too have issues with Abe's actions, unlike me however they are prepared to undertake a more direct response" I felt my face tighten, knowing where this was leading.

"You're talking a war"

"Yes Chief Johnson, I am" I frowned.

"I personally wouldn't give a damn if they stuck to killing each other, but too many innocent lives have already been lost, if there's a war a lot more will be"

"That is unfortunately correct, while neither the Sumiyoshi-rengo nor the Yamaguchi-gumi seek such a conflict, the actions of Abe and the Inagawa-kaï threaten us all and will require a response" I held my hand up in a 'stop' gesture.

"If you have any influence over your fellow Yakuza, tell them that at the moment, my entire focus is on shutting Abe and his people down. They are not on my radar right now, however if a war starts, not only will they be on my radar, I can guarantee that every federal and state law enforcement organisation in California will be on their case as well as Abe's" He tilted his head at my request, then spoke.

"I will convey your request to the Sumiyoshi-rengo, though I have no control of their actions" He shrugged. "Much will depend on how quickly you can stop Abe" With effort I smothered a snort, hell now it wasn't just the media, Pope and the Mayor's office breathing down my neck about this case, I now had organised crime on my back as well. I scowled across the table at Kurita.

"I despise being seen to be cleaning up your mess, but I'll take down Abe" He nodded once as I leaned forward. "But understand this Mister Kurita. Once I've finished with Abe and his Waka…whatever"

"Wakagashira" Maura helpfully inserted. I smiled.

Thank you Doctor Isles. Yeah him, once I've dealt with them, I'll be looking at you too" I shrugged. "Perhaps you may wish to consider joining your family in Japan" His face took on a hurt look, though I doubted he knew the meaning of the emotion.

"I have helped you and you display such ingratitude?" I leaned forward, my voice low and flat with barely suppressed anger.

"You have embroiled me in your problems, your organisations are bringing your politics and feuds to my city where innocent families die because of them and now you expect me to clean up your mess?" I looked down at the table as I felt my anger growing within me and stamped down on it, I had to stay in control; there were too many people in here on hair triggers, it wouldn't take much to start something really bad. I breathed deeply then exhaled slowly, trying for some semblance of calm before I spoke again. Finally I looked up, seeing Kurita watching me.

"I can tell you that gratitude is not exactly what I'm feeling right now, far from it in fact" I caught Maura's eye and tilted my head towards the exit as she nodded. I looked back at Kurita.

"Thank you for lunch, Mister Kurita, I will take your information under advisement" I stood and stepped back, making room for Maura to slide out of the booth, Kurita standing as well, Maura tipped her head at both men and spoke.

"Sayonara" They both nodded, as I did as well, before speaking.

"I hope that we never have to meet across one of my interrogation tables, it won't be anywhere near as pleasant" He met my gaze levelly and nodded once.

"I understand. Good afternoon Chief Johnson"

"Good afternoon to you Mister Kurita"

With that I turned and walked out, followed by Maura and my detectives. Looking round I saw Ana already making her way down the fire escape on the building across the street, her telescopic sight with laser pointer safely slung around her neck. Turning I saw Maura wearing a thoughtful expression and looked at her; she obviously picked up on my unspoken question.

"You did not contribute to the bill; however I believe that was appropriate as he was the host"

"No Maura, I stiffed him with the bill because I was being rude. The next time I see him I hope it's to watch as he's leaving LAX bound for Japan; that is if I can't toss him in jail first"


	29. Chapter 29

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**29 Yakuza Investigation**

Jane's viewpoint

Armed with the details we had from Benda and Maura's lunch with the Yakuza boss, Ana had chased down the names with Superintendent Genda in Tokyo and he'd sent across a set of images of both of the names we had, Shinzo Abe and Isoroku Homoru. Their glowering portraits now decorated the board in the squad room as we plotted our next move.

We were doing the usual cop things, looking for patterns, trying to find things to tie each of the victims together, so far with no luck. Their kids went to different schools, the adults didn't belong to the same organisations, they mostly didn't socialise in the same circles, didn't use the same bank, shop at the same places, it seemed their lives didn't cross over at all.

Oh, there were a few small intersections, two of the families used the same law firm, one specialising in Japanese-language clients, but none of the others did. In another case two of the victim's had worked to support the election of City Councillor Mori with money and contacts in the Asian business community, helping to explain his interest in the case, but the others had no political involvement. It was enough to make you want to bang your head against a wall but it was something we'd all grown used to over the years.

The morning had come and gone with no luck, so we were sitting around at lunchtime, munching away and kicking theories around. Maura wasn't around to have lunch with, she was meeting with the instructors at the Academy to discuss some changes to the training rookies got about not messing up crime scenes, anything that reduced crime scene contamination was a good thing, god knows we'd all had scenes ruined by clumsy rookies.

So I was sitting at my desk, taking advantage of Maura's absence to polish off a decent burger, some fries and a chocolate milkshake; what she didn't know about wouldn't hurt her, or me. I looked across at Mike Tao who had just finished off an exhaustive check of each family's finances, cross-referencing for matches and was talking to Flynn.

"No luck there, they all spent money at Home Depot, Target, that sort of thing, but we've all done that, so nothing conclusive in that" Flynn frowned.

"Damn, that sucks" I nodded. We'd added financial cross-referencing for matches to the standard set of tools after it had helped us close the sniper case last year, but it wasn't much help if there was nothing there to find. My phone vibrated, letting me know I had a text; checking it I unconsciously smiled, it was from Maura. I read it and started putting together a response when I suddenly stopped dead, thinking about what she'd said, before looking up.

"What about people they pay cash to" I got a few confused looks before Sanchez asked the question.

"Huh? Like who?"

"I dunno, maids, pool boys, the kids who mow their lawns, carpet cleaners, the guys who clean out the gutters or wash their cars, people like that" Flynn looked pensive.

"Ya think?"

"Maura just texted to remind me to pay the guys who keep our pool clean; it's a small-time father and son operation who don't take credit cards, so we have to pay them cash; lots of people deal with small time, off the grid operators like that. Maybe that's our connection" Tao pulled a face.

"Maybe, it'll take some digging though" Sanchez shrugged.

'It's not like we've had any luck with anything else. It's worth a shot" I saw a series of nods around the room, enough so that Flynn and I took it to Brenda who thought about it for a moment, then agreed.

"Commander Raydor has a lady who lives a few blocks away come in once a week to do some light cleaning, sweeping up the floors, dusting the shelves and benches and all, the woman's a widowed retiree living on her own so she needs to make ends meet. It works out well for everyone" She nodded to herself, before looking up at us. "It's worth looking into"

With that we got moving, checking with as many people as we could. Three hours later we were sitting back in the squad room, writing up a list of people each family used. It turned out there were a lot of small operations doing things like the lawns, cleaning, dog grooming and such, most of whom did it on a cash in hand basis.

We had a number of matches across most of our victims, an aquarium and fish pond maintenance service, a garden maintenance company and a set of painters, but the problem was the Shimamura family. The entire family had been killed, leaving us with no one to talk to, so Gabriel and I were stuck with wandering around their street, talking to neighbors once more.

Several of the surrounding families had seen various services in the street but none of them were a match to the ones on our list, leaving us with a dead end. One or two homes were empty, so we'd have to come back another time to interview them. We were about to leave when we saw a car pull into the house across the street, no one had been home earlier, so Gabriel and I exchanged a look and got back out of the car, wandering up the drive. We arrived to see an Asian woman, in her late-fifties or early-sixties I'd guess from the subtle grey hair, one of those women who don't age much till they hit their seventies, just opening the back of her people mover.

"Good afternoon ma'am, LAPD, can we talk to you for a minute?" At my voice she turned to see us walking up the drive. I pushed my jacket back, letting her see the badge as Gabriel did the same.

"Sargeant Gabriel and Detective Rizzoli ma'am, wonder if we can have a few words?" Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Hello officers, is something wrong?" Gabriel smiled in that reassuring way we'd all practiced using on potential witnesses.

"No ma'am, just a couple of routine questions following up on the home invasion across the street" She nodded.

"Oh yes, that was so horrible, the Shimamura's were lovely people, my son and their eldest daughter were in the same class together at junior high. He's still upset about it, we all are. It's not that sort of neighborhood at all" I nodded, taking in the pile of grocery bags in the back.

"Can we help you with those?" The woman smiled as Gabriel eyed me off but he went with it, we might as well get her relaxed, she might remember more if she didn't feel pressured.

"That would be lovely. Let me get the front door open" Between us Gabriel and I grabbed all the bags and followed her in, dumping the bags on the bench top as the woman smiled.

"Thank you. Can I get you a cup of coffee or perhaps a tea?"

"Coffee would be fine Mrs.…"

"Aoki, Keiko Aoki" She looked up at Gabriel. "And you young man?"

"Coffee would be fine too thanks ma'am" We were directed to stools by the island bench as Mrs. Aoki bustled around making coffee. With a few gentle prompts she started telling us about the Shimamura's.

"They were lovely people; they've been living here for…oh it must be fifteen years or more. I remember that Misora; Mrs. Shimamura, was pregnant with her second daughter Namiko when they arrived. Her other daughter Reina was two when they moved in. Reina and my son Tommy were inseparable growing up, they were the same age" I nodded.

"So you knew them well Mrs. Aoki?" She had one of those automatic coffee makers that you stuck a pod into and pushed a button. For a moment I wondered why we didn't have one of those, quick and easy, until I remembered that Maura preferred really expensive specialist blends from god knows where, some of which had been through some animal's digestive system before being ground up. As for Ana, she'd probably recoil in horror at the thought of using one, being a trained barista and all.

"Oh yes, we were both on the same school committee, our children grew up together you see. We'd stop round and chat all the time, Misora was lovely, you know she baked the best brownies, they always sold out at our school fund raisers" We nodded as the coffee machine worked away. Gabriel leaned forward.

"What about Mister Shimamura?"

"Oh Raizo was a nice man, always working hard. He's a merchant banker" She pulled a sad face at the slip. "Well he was now I suppose. He worked down at Bank of America, in the section that handled business with Japanese companies with offices here in America. He was very good at it too, enough so they'd just installed a pool a few months back and bought a new car" I nodded, look like we'd hit pay dirt; Mrs. Aoki seemed like the street's busybody, her nose in everyone else's business.

"We were wondering if you saw anything unusual the morning of the incident at the Shimamura's."

"Unfortunately no, I was out at the nail salon at the mall having a new set of nails fitted" She waved her fingers, showing off a set of French nails. "I didn't get back until it was all over and the street was full of police cars" She pulled out one cup and pushed it in front of Gabriel, then dug out milk, a milk frother, sugar, non-sugar sweetener and spoons, placing them on the bench. "Please help yourself young man" She turned and started another cup. "I remember telling another officer, Officer Flynn I think it was, that I hadn't been here at the time" I looked across at Gabriel as he stirred in milk and sugar, sharing a tiny smile at Andy's 'demotion', before I looked back at Mrs. Aoki.

"We have a few other questions for you, hopefully you can help us" She smiled at me while setting up the machine to make another coffee.

"Of course dear, if I can" I noticed the 'dear' and ignored it. I suppose at her age we all look young.

"We were wondering if the Shimamura's used any contractors to do some of the work around the house, y'know, maids, carpet cleaners, pool cleaners, that sort of thing"

"Oh no, Misora was very house proud, she spent hours every day working around the home, kept it spotless" I nodded as the coffee cup under the machine filled up. Gabriel put his cup down and spoke.

"What about the pool, you said it was new?"

"Raizo; Mister Shimamura, he used to clean it each weekend; he was the one who wanted the pool, he'd had a heart attack a few years back and swam for exercise each morning and afternoon. During the school holidays Namiko, Reina, Tommy and their friends were in it all day long" She paused for a moment and shook her head slowly, then sighed. "A terrible thing Detective" She pushed the now-full cup across the bench towards me. "Your coffee"

"Thank you" I poured some milk and sugar in as Gabriel took up the questions.

"You said that the pool was new ma'am, how new?" I sipped the coffee which wasn't all that bad as Mrs. Aoki answered.

"Oh, about eight or nine months old I guess. I remember, the pool people got a big crane in to lift the shell up over their house and into the hole they'd dug in the back yard, I stood out on my front yard and watched them, took about an hour all up to get it in" I nodded slowly. Nine months ago was well before the Yakuza had arrived. Gabriel was nodding too.

"I see you have a lovely garden, do you do it yourself or get someone in?" Mrs. Aoki smiled.

"Oh I do all that, I love gardening. I'm having great success with my roses this year" Gabriel smiled.

"Did Mrs. Shimamura do her own garden, it looks nice"

"Oh no, Misora used to joke she had a black thumb, plants would die when she came near them" I turned and looked out through the front window, seeing a pretty lush garden in front of the Shimamura's house across the street, before turning back.

"Looks pretty nice to me, but I'm not into gardening"

"Oh, that's a shame detective, I find it very peaceful. Very soothing" Gabriel however had picked up on my comment, exchanging a look with me before following up.

"Did the Shimamura's have someone come in to work on their garden ma'am?"

"Yes, as I recall they did, some local company I think. I remember they had a picture of a cherry blossom on the side of their truck" She paused. "I remember it because it's a very Japanese flower" For a moment her eyes were somewhere else. "I love cherry blossoms; they remind me so much of growing up in Japan, the cherry blossom festival, the lovely scent in the air. I'd grow them here but sadly they don't do too well here in California. Far too hot and dry unfortunately, you can give them plenty of water, but the heat is too much for them, you'd need an arboretum" She looked up at us. "Have either of you been to Japan?" Gabriel smiled.

"No ma'am" I shook my head.

"My fiancée wants us to visit, maybe next year, if we can get the time off" Mrs. Aoki smiled.

"If you can, go during the Cherry Blossom festival, it's beautiful, the trees are in bloom all across Japan, it's a wonderful holiday, it's something you really must see" I nodded.

"We'll keep that in mind" I glanced at Gabriel and we dragged the conversation back on track. "Do you recall the name of the gardening company the Shimamura's used, the one with the flower on the truck?"

"I don't recall paying too much attention, let me think" Gabriel glanced at me and I saw his hand reach into his pocket, but I subtly shook my head. Better Mrs. Aoki remember the name unprompted, especially if it came to court, that way the defence couldn't claim we'd coached the results. "I remember now, Rising Sun, that was the name of the company, that was it" I nodded, dissapointed, that name wasn't on any of our lists.

"Rising Sun?" It was Gabriel. "You're sure about that ma'am?" She nodded.

"Oh yes, Rising Sun. I remember it because it was in Kanji, you don't see the Kanji characters used very often over here" Gabriel frowned, not following her.

"Kanji characters?"

"The original Japanese characters, made with brush strokes. Over here you normally see the translated version, either the phonetic translation or the English translation" I frowned, wishing Maura was here, she'd know what she was talking about.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Aoki, I'm not following you. Are you saying there can be multiple names for something?"

"Not really detective. In Japanese there is a very literal meaning for everything, there is very little chance of being misunderstood, each word means one thing only. Compared to English it's very simple and straightforward. When I came here from Japan as a child everything was very hard because you have different meanings for words" She smiled, suddenly looking a lot younger. "The one that always used to confuse me was the words 'there, their and they're'; you see in Japanese you couldn't have a sentence with three words that sound exactly the same but have different meanings" She shook her head, still smiling. "It was all very confusing to a young girl trying to learn English" We both smiled, before Gabriel spoke, confusion in his voice.

"So there can be multiple ways to write the same Japanese word?"

"Certainly" She reached round and pulled up a tablet lying on the bench top, powering it up. "I follow news from Japan on one of the main news sites over there" She opened up a page and spun the tablet around, showing a page full of Japanese characters. "See the title here?" She indicated the right spot, where I could see something that looked like chicken tracks to me, but hey, I don't read Japanese. "This is the name in Kanji, it literally means Morning Sun Newspaper, however the normal way it is spoken and written in English is Asahi Shimbun. It means the same, but just a different way of saying it" I nodded.

"Seems complex, but I suppose it makes sense to a Japanese speaker" She nodded.

"It does, if you learn Japanese it makes a lot more sense than English, partly because English has so many words from other languages in it, it's quite a language stew really" I nodded, then glanced at Gabriel.

"Well thanks for the coffee Mrs. Aoki, you've been a big help, especially with the impromptu language lesson" She smiled at us.

"It was my pleasure" I drained my coffee and was standing when Mrs. Aoki spoke. "Why the interest in the gardening company if I might ask?"

"They were a possible lead, but it isn't the right name" She looked at me.

"What name were you looking for" I looked over at Gabriel and he shrugged slightly, but reached into his jacket and pulled out his notebook, flipping it open.

"The company's we were looking for were Nihon Gardening, Takamura and Sons Painting and Sango Aquarium Maintenance" She nodded.

That's appropriate; Sango means coral in Japanese, another of those words that have different ways of being said" She paused. "What did you say was the other company was?" I looked up at her tone.

"Nihon Gardening" She frowned.

"Nihon means sun-origin, that's the literal translation. It's a very old name for Japan, it's usually taken to represent the place where the dawn happens and in northern Asia the first country to see the sunrise is Japan" Mrs. Aoki pursed her lips. "It's where the old imperial Japan got the idea for the Imperial emblem and flag, better known as the rising sun, back in the bad old days" She looked at us both.

"If you were looking for Nihon Gardening, well they were here, Nihon also means Rising Sun"


	30. Chapter 30

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**30 Rising Sun Gardening**

Jane's viewpoint

We'd headed back to the office and started digging into Nihon Gardening. Now we knew they were the likely link between all our victims, we turned the full weight of the LAPDs investigative resources onto them. One quick chat to Ana and the FBIs resources were available to us as well.

The privacy people would have a spasm if they truly realised just how much info we can access on a company or person even without a warrant. In addition to City records, company records and tax invoices plus the usual police records and the like, we can pull up employment records, immigration status, vehicle registrations, TSA files and a lot more besides. And all that's before we even started Google searches, looking for mentions in the media, which is where we found some useful background in the company's local paper, they'd done a series on successful local businesses, with Nihon Gardening one of the featured companies.

According to the article, which included an interview with the owner, Tony Ikeda, he was a fourth generation local, his great grandfather had fought with the US Army's 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a Nisei unit, in Italy in the Second World War and come back a decorated veteran. His grandfather had stared the company and his father had grown it, before handing the reins over to the current generation five years ago, he'd continued building the company, and he'd expressed his hope that his son would take over the company in due course.

He didn't look the type to be working for the Yakuza, his financials were nothing special, they were making money, but he wasn't rich, he was slowly growing the company, ploughing most of the profits back into the company, obviously trying to set it up to hand over to his son in better shape than he'd got it.

Checking the police records was useful, while there weren't many things that popped up on our radar that were out of the ordinary they'd been the usual intereactions, some of his vehicles had been in traffic accidents over the years, two of which were caused by the company's drivers. His people had amassed the usual citizen's interactions with the police, parking fines, speeding tickets and traffic accidents mostly. One of the female employees, their receptionist at the time, had come to the police a few years back, she'd had problems with an ex -boyfriend who didn't like his new status but he'd backed off once the cops got involved.

Another employee's kid had been busted for possession of ecstasy tablets at a rave; there'd been a messy divorce involving the company accountant and her husband, police had been called twice to domestics involving them both in the lead up to moving it into court; there'd been a burglary at the company's offices about eighteen months ago where some portable electronics had been taken, the sort of thing a junkie would boost to fence for a quick fix, something that the investigating officer had noted in his report.

Within hours we'd amassed a sizeable amount of data about the company, its owner and his employees which in turn led us to social media searches on the people, god knows people put out so much stuff on Facebook or Twitter or whatever, things they sure as hell wouldn't ever tell the cops, not without a warrant anyway. Unfortunately it seemed a lot of his people were older folks, middle aged people who tended to have a lower social media profile than younger people who'd been practically born with a computer mouse in their hands. I looked at some of the stuff people posted and winced at it, idly I'd wondered if they'd regret it in later life, when their youthful oversharing came back to bite them on the ass.

Tired, I leaned back in my chair, my back cracking as I did, punishing me for five hours staring at files and into a computer screen, after all that I had nothing much to show. Finally leaning forward and deciding I needed a new coffee, I stood up, grabbed my mug and headed for the kitchen, finding Flynn there as well.

"Yo Flynn, out of the way man, it's not safe to stand between me and a caffeine fix" He turned to smile and stepped to one side, stirring his cup.

"Go for it Rizzoli, not sure this really qualifies as coffee though..." I grimaced, the instant in the kitchen may have contained caffeine but the taste was horrible, especially after drinking Maura's favoured Blue Mountain blend, let alone Ana's freshly brewed coffee, that girl knew her way round an espresso machine. I spooned some instant into the cup, added hot water, milk and sugar, stirred it wine of those little wooden swizzle stick thingies and tasted it, pulling a face; yep, I was ruined.

"Tastes like crap but it's got caffeine so I suppose beggars can't be choosers" Flynn nodded, leaning back against the wall next to the fridge.

"Find anything useful" I shook my head.

"Nothing, everything looks pretty normal, nothing that stands out. What about you?" He pulled a face.

"Same. Just about to do background checks on a couple of new hires" I frowned, new hires...

"How new?"

"Three or four months, near enough" I nodded to myself as he turned and made his way back towards the squad room as I followed, we nodded to Gabriel who passed us, empty cup in hand, another one heading for a refill.

"Are they Japanese?" He glanced over and nodded.

"Yeah, about to get Ana to get the immigration records sent over" I thought it over for a few seconds, then looked over at him as I followed him back into the Murder Room.

"So, new arrivals eh?" He nodded again. I thought it over for a moment, before pausing at his desk as he sat down.

"Call me if anything pops up" He looked up curiously.

"Something you wanna share?"

"No, just ...maybe" I shook my head, the tiredness talking. "Call me, OK" He nodded and I made my way back to my own desk. For the next hour and a half I looked into the company's banking records, getting the feeling nothing particularly weird was going on, when Flynn called me back over to his desk.

"Couple of new employees came off the plane three months ago; I've got Ana chasing details from the Japanese Police"

"Something not look right?"

"These guys both started a few weeks before the first home invasions. I know it's thin but…" I nodded; cops don't get to be good detectives without listening to their instincts and their gut, even if in this case they support the wrong damned baseball team.

"But you got a feeling?" He nodded, leaning back in the chair as he walked me through his reasoning.

"Two new guys straight off the plane from Japan, pretty much walk right into a job with a company which we've tied to the site of all of the attacks, not long before the attacks start, sounds way too pat for me" I nodded, it was way too much to be just a coincidence, in fact…

"I'd give a lot to see Rising Sun's records of who worked each of the houses that got hit"

"As would I" I looked up to find Brenda standing there. I hadn't seen her walk up; I don't know how she does it, some kind of weird Deputy Chief sixth sense thing she's got going maybe but she always seemed to turn up just when we had something interesting. She turned to Flynn who'd sat up straight at her arrival and tilted her head to him.

"Lieutenant, would you kindly run me through what you might have?"

"Sure Chief. We have two Rising Sun Gardening employees who only arrived in country barely three months back. Within a week of arriving they were employed by the company as laborers. That was only a couple of weeks before the first home invasion took place" Brenda pursed her lips and nodded.

"Do we know anything about how they came to be employed by rising Sun Gardening?" Flynn and I both shook our heads in unconscious synchronisation, Flynn saw it as he half smiled, glancing up at me before looking back at the Chief.

"Nothing yet Chief, but we've only just started" He frowned. "It's pretty thin" I looked across at Brenda.

""We're probably going to have to drag in Tony Ikeda, Rising Suns owner sooner rather than later if this doesn't pan out" Brenda nodded slowly, chewing the corner of her lip as she though it through before looking up.

"Let's see if we can turn up anything on our two mystery employees, do they have names?" Flynn looked back down at his notes, stumbling slightly over the pronunciations, not that I'd be much better.

"Naoki Hasegawa and Masahiro Hyakuta" He shrugged. "I'm chasing images from DMV or Immigration"

"I can help you there" We looked up to see Ana walking our way, a folder in her hand. "Both our boy's arrived on false passports but their images were in the Japanese police's yakuza database" She smiled at Brenda. "Superintendent Genda really needs to be on our Christmas card list. He turned our request round almost immediately" Brenda nodded slowly.

'What did the good Superintendent find?"

"They've identified them as Haruki Otomo and Shusuke Arima. Both known members of the Inagawa-kaï" She opened the folder and pulled out two images, lower quality ones obviously printed up on her office printer, handing them to Brenda. Thanking Ana, she perused them for a moment before turning and walking over to the murder board and pinning them up on the board with magnets, joining the images of Abe and Homaru already there. Grabbing a whiteboard marker she turned to Ana.

"Which one is which?" The images had Japanese characters across the bottom; Ana provided the names, spelling them out as Brenda wrote them out next to each image, with Flynn then giving her the names they were using at Rising Sun. Finishing she capped the pen and turned with a flourish. "Lieutenant Flynn, Detective Rizzoli, would you be kind enough to track down our two suspects, where they live, who they've been hanging out with, the usual" We both nodded as she turned to her next victim.

"Agent Romanov, thank you for these images, could I ask you to please go through the images of the rest of the Rising Sun employees we've turned up and liaise with Superintendent Genda; could you prevail upon his good offices to see if any of them turn up in their records as well" Ana nodded as Brenda looked round at us all.

"Someone had to get these two gentlemen a job there, newly arrived and straight into a job. That requires someone's help" She pulled a face, her mouth twisted in little a moue of annoyance. "I can't imagine as Yakuza members in good standing that gardening makes up a large part of their resume"

We all nodded slowly, she was right.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N** This story is rated M for a reason, this chapter being one of them.

This chapter contains depictions of consenting adults doing what consenting adults do when they feel like it, so if sexual content isn't your thing, please skip the chapter and move on.

**Intersecting Lines Book 2 **

**31 Fun and Games**

Natalie's viewpoint

I walked in through the door a little after six; today had been a bit of a bear, too many meetings that weren't worth my time but that I couldn't get out of, plus several hours preparing performance appraisals for my team. They're pretty good mostly; a few people need to step up a bit though, something I'll make clear to them in the coming days. If they can't make the grade then they'll have to go, the job's too important to have people who aren't committed to providing their best 24/7. Given two people in particular aren't delivering the goods despite coaching and mentoring I'd be having meetings with each of them soon; they'd either shape up or ship out.

They weren't bad people, one was just not coping well with the pressure of turning out timely, top quality work day in day out, while the other was good but inclined to coast and was a bit work shy when they could get away with it, meaning other people had to pick up their slack. I'd be sad to see them go if that's what turned out to be necessary but given the job we did and how important it was, the LAPD needed the best team possible.

Ana wasn't home yet, she'd been kept back late chasing down some information for Major Crimes' home invasion case, I'd asked if I should hang back and wait for her but she'd told me to head home and that as a treat she'd promised to bring dinner home from that amazing African place we'd recently discovered to make up for being late, so we could eat and then cuddle up in front of the TV for a bit; Once Upon a Time was on tonight and I loved see just how bad Regina could be when she let her inner bitch out, after all who didn't occasionally wish they could say what they thought without care for the consequences, all the while looking stylish and fantastic.

For me, Lana Parilla absolutely aced the Evil Queen, not to mention all hot and sexy with it, I loved her. Ana thought she wasn't bad but had a thing for Ruby Red, the werewolf waitress; given how amazing Meghan Ory's legs were it was hardly surprising, the clothes she wore practically screamed '_look at me, drool over me, want me_'. One episode she'd worn head to toe skin-tight red, right down to red thigh boots, I swear Ana nearly had palpitations just watching Ruby as I teased her mercilessly. Once Upon a Time night was always fun, a de-stress night for us both.

I was tired and it'd probably be at least another hour before Ana got home, so I decided a good soak would be just the thing. I left a trail of clothes through the place on the way to the bath, too tired to worry about them now; I'd pick them up after my bath. To help relax I went looking for some bath bombs, sure we still had a few left I'd started searching through the drawers in the vanity when on opening the bottom one my eyes fell upon a forgotten treasure.

Laying there in the bottom drawer I saw our suction cup dildo, making a slow, delighted smile appear. We'd stashed it there when we'd had visitors a few weeks back; we hadn't wanted to traumatise Ana's boss Director Martinez and his wife when they came over for dinner, mind you they were both so stuffy they probably didn't need a toy, the broomsticks they both had shoved up their asses were probably more than enough. I eventually got the impression Martinez was mostly ok with us once he relaxed and enjoyed the night, but his wife Carol had worn a slight air of unease the whole time, as if she was worrying about her husband being around two attractive women, as stupid as that sounded given neither of us had any interest whatsoever in guys, least of all middle-aged, married ones.

I frowned, maybe it was just that she was uncomfortable with the fact that they were deep in lesbian territory, some women had no problems with lesbians and others did; I shrugged to myself, dismissing it, it was her problem, not mine.

I retrieved the dildo, which had lain there forgotten since we'd scrambled round, hurriedly getting the apartment cleaned up. I smiled at it, feeling its surprisingly weighty mass in my hand. It'd gotten plenty of use since we first got it, the nine inch length and even better the one and a half inch girth perfect for filling us both right up, I noticed myself smiling a little naughtily in the mirror as I let my mind roam over some of its uses.

The first time we'd used it had been the night Ana had brought it home; me bent over in the shower, Ana holding my butt cheeks apart as she guided the tip into my dripping core. The thought of it had kept me humming all day, she'd rung me at my desk early in the day and told me what we were going to do that night, making me squirm with the images she planted, I'd been so wet just thinking about it, the reality was even better.

My gasping groan was loud in the small, steamy bathroom back in our Seattle apartment as I felt it slide inside my pussy, gently stretching me out, seeing Ana move to kneel in front of me and looking up as I stood there bent over, seeing the wanton look in her eyes as she let me balance my hands on her shoulders to steady myself as I rocked back and forth on the toy stuck to the shower wall, my mouth dropping open as it slid ever deeper inside with each thrust, finally feeling it bottom out inside me, even as Ana reached her mouth up to kiss me, her fingers tweaking my hanging nipples...

Another night not long afterwards, I'd been on my knees, impaled on the upright dildo where it was stuck to the shower floor as Ana stood there, one leg braced over my shoulder against the wall as she buried her fist in my hair, guiding my tongue to exactly where she wanted it, right between my lover's hot, wet lips, our combined moans loud in the steamy room as we both rode our way to immensely satisfying climaxes.

I smirked as the memories came thick and fast now, the pair of us side by side on our knees, the dildo stuck to the shower glass, both of us sliding our tongues along its length, sharing it, taking turns to suck and lick it, all in the name of getting it 'nice and wet', as if we'd needed it lubed up given how much we were both turned on, helped by the fact that I was pumping two fingers of one hand deep inside my pussy and two from the other into Ana while my nasty, wicked lover had her right index finger inside her ass and her left index finger sliding in and out of mine, it'd been decadent and depraved and utterly delicious. I remembered we'd got so turned on, we'd never got to use it, bringing each other to a series of very satisfying orgasms with just our fingers.

Feeling my eyes widen and my jaw drop as Ana had demonstrated she could take the entire length of the toy into her mouth and throat, something I couldn't, no matter how hard I'd tried; looking back I'd been devastated that I couldn't do that too. Hearing Ana whispering to me that it was ok, there were other, even more wonderful things I could do with my mouth that were far more important to her, before we'd ended up in bed, I'd eaten her to three shattering orgasms in a row, leaving her completely wrecked, begging me to leave her alone till she could recover and return the favour, something I'd enjoyed as much as I had doing it to her in the first place.

Another time we'd ended up with Ana on her knees between my thighs, orally driving me to a spectacular orgasm while she'd ground herself back against the dildo where it was stuck to the bed head. I equally remembered the giggles the following morning when we woke up to see it hanging over our heads like some weird wall hanging.

The memories crowded in, so many good ones. I smiled, remembering Ana's moans as she had slid herself slowly, carefully, down onto the well-lubed toy, watching it disappear inch by inch into Ana's carefully prepared ass as I knelt behind her, waiting until my kinky, sexy agent was completely filled, eyes squeezed shut as she accustomed herself to the sensation, before I leaned forward, arms wrapped around her, fingers toying with Ana's straining nipples as I'd peppered kisses on her neck, both of us moving up and down slowly in unison as Ana gently rode the toy, her pace carefully quickening until she shuddered as the climax hit, safe in my arms.

Another memory came unbidden, on my knees as I took the toy into my mouth where it was stuck to the mirror, while Ana rode me from behind, her strap-on filling my pussy as surely as the other toy filled my mouth, the deliciously dirty feeling as she'd pounded me from behind hard, the tight grip of her hands on my hips dragging me back onto her had felt so good. I'd ended up with light bruises there the following morning but I hadn't really cared, a price I'd happily pay for the wonderful climax she'd driven me to.

Then we'd swapped positions and roles, I remembered the oh so satisfying moan I'd heard when I'd carefully bottomed out the strap-on inside her pussy, seeing Ana's eyes closed in bliss even as her lips reached the back of the toy, her hot breath fogging the mirror round the dildo's base, then slowly letting the full, wet length of the toy slide out from between her lips as she ground back against me. Holding her hips against me where she was bent over, pushing forward and wiggling my hips as the full length settled inside her, seeing the toy slide inside her mouth as I did; I was getting wet all over again just thinking about it.

We'd had so much fun that we'd got a second one, so we could both ride one; up and down as we faced each other, held each other safe in our arms, our hands and mouths wandering as we rode them together, coming in each others embrace.

I remembered one time I'd been kneeling on the shower floor, slowly riding up and down the toy's full length, Ana snuggled up against my back, moving in time with me on hers, feeling her slippery wet boobs rubbing up against my back as we rose and fell in unison, her mouth on my neck, turning my head for a kiss while reaching back between us to slip a finger inside her, as one of her hands dropped between my legs and did the same, till we'd both come almost together.

Unfortunately I'd broken one of them a couple of months back during a particularly nasty, wicked session.

Ana had convinced me to try double penetration, so after lots of preparation and plenty of lube, I'd carefully slid myself down onto both dildo's, the unique feeling of being so completely filled had taken my breath away as I'd ever so carefully slid myself down onto them, gasping at each new sensation, until I'd felt both entrances flare around the base of the dildos. I'd just sat there for a moment, getting used to the feelings running through me, before carefully rising up, Ana kneeling behind me, her knees on each side of my thighs, whispering in my ear, telling me how sexy I looked, how much it was turning her on to see me doing that as she helped me, slowly rising and falling, picking up the pace as I got used to the sensations, feeling I was in control, until Ana's knowing fingers found my clit and drove me utterly wild.

The overwhelming sensations of being so filled, together with her knowing exactly what was needed to get me off had sent me way, way over the edge, I'd thrashed so hard when I came I actually tore the suction cup off one of them, it'd been left still stuck to the floor, leaving Ana ruefully contemplating missing out on doing the same thing, not that I honestly cared right then, I'd come so hard I could barely tell what day it was, my boneless body held safely in her arms.

So many lovely memories, I smiled at my reflection, idly noting I was a little flushed, my nipples were rock hard and my panties were a little uncomfortable, I'd turned myself on just thinking about what we'd done. I smiled even wider at what was to come and turned to wander into the kitchen to give it a proper clean in the dishwasher, my tiredness forgotten, glancing at the clock and wishing Ana was home.

I think it's time to add a few more memories to the collection.


	32. Chapter 32

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**32 Taylor Troubles Part 2**

Maura's viewpoint

I was making my way up to visit Sharon; while I could have rung to confirm we were going running tomorrow morning, I had spent much of the day trapped behind my desk doing departmental paperwork and was looking to stretch my legs a little so a quick trip up to Force Investigation Division seemed a worthwhile use of my time.

Since taking up my role here in Los Angeles with its much larger compliment of colleagues and support staff I had found myself spending more time than I truly liked on administrative duties, giving me a valuable insight into Jane's often and loudly voiced distaste for paperwork and her excessive zeal in fleeing the office at the slightest opportunity in her desire to chase down even the slightest lead and avoid the administrative aspects of her role.

I exited the elevator to find the corridor empty; however I could faintly hear the sound of a male voice, obviously angry, coming from the direction of my destination, drawing a frown at the lack of decorum encountered on what was usually one of the quietest of headquarters's floors. Making my way towards my destination the sound grew significantly as I turned into the corridor passing the Force Investigation Division's squad room, to find most of Sharon's team there anxiously looking up the corridor, their faces carrying a mix of anger and shame, beyond them I could see Commander Russell Taylor of Robbery / Homicide standing there, shouting at Sharon.

Sharon was standing there, looking lovely in a charcoal grey Armani suit; I recognised it as one that she had bought a month or so earlier when we had been out shopping together. Her arms were crossed in a defensive pose, understandable as Commander Taylor was not only much larger but was also looming over her in an entirely too-threatening manner. Seeing Sharon's deputy Lieutenant Elliot standing there facing the confrontation uncertainly I walked over, he turned in surprise as I stepped up alongside him.

"Doctor Isles, um...what brings you up here" I understood his embarrassment, seeing his superior officer, someone he admired, being abused out in front of everyone; not just her squad either but others as well, heads had popped out of doors all down the corridor; it was a grievous insult to both Sharon and her people. I raised an eyebrow as the Commander's coarse voice filled the corridor.

"I don't give a damn what you and that goddamned dyke bitch you're fucking think you're doing, but you're not going to get away with this" Sharon was trying to be polite, though by the thin line her lips were making it was obvious that she was restraining herself with difficulty as she spoke.

"If you'd just calm down and listen..." If anything Commander Taylor leaned even more aggressively into her personal space in an attempt to intimidate her I assumed.

"What, listen to you try and justify your fuck ups, you've gone too far this time" Sharon leaned back and uncrossed her arms, placing them on her hips as her jaw took on a combative angle.

"I assure you Commander, I am only just starting" I looked across at Lieutenant Elliot, easily seeing the tension in his pose.

'How long has this been going on?" He glanced at me then back at the confrontation in front of us, keeping his voice low.

"A couple of minutes, Taylor's really angry, he's getting more and more personal" I nodded as the Commander's voice filled the corridor.

"Not once the union hears of this, you need taking down a peg and I'm going to enjoy doing just that" Sharon swiped her hand across the space between them.

"I answer to neither you nor the union" Her response was to have a finger shoved in her face as Taylor's voice dropped menacingly.

"We'll see about that, by the time I'm finished with you you'll be fucking screwed" I frowned at both his words and tone, wondering if I should intervene before his next words clinched it. "You and that Southern slut have gone too far this time and I'm gonna set it right" Gritting my teeth in anger, I squared my shoulders and walked forward, leaving Lieutenant Elliot behind.

"Uh Doctor Isles, I don't think that's a good idea..." Ignoring his obviously well meaning advice, I walked up the corridor and stepped up between both of them but off to one side, close enough to be seen. Both heads turned as I stopped, Taylor was quicker, his voice losing none of its venom.

"What the hell do you want?" I ignored him momentarily as Sharon spoke, surprise on her face.

"Doctor Isles, how can I help you?" I nodded politely at Sharon's words, pointedly not acknowledging Commander Taylor.

"Good afternoon Commanders, as a matter of fact you can" I turned to face Taylor. "You can start by moderating your tone. I could hear it all the way to the elevators" I tilted my head to regard the odious man. "That is of course unless making a public spectacle of yourself is one of your normal habits?" His ire was suddenly turned on me full force.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, coming in here and telling me what to do?" I tipped my head to the other side and regarded the man with something approaching contempt, he was a thuggish boor. With effort I kept my voice polite.

"Oh I am sorry Commander; I was on my way up here when I was confronted with your voice, clearly audible half a floor away. I thought you might have preferred to maintain some semblance of dignity, rather than behaving like a schoolyard bully"

"What gives you the right to act so goddamn high and mighty anyway?" I shrugged, unfazed by his contemptuous disdain, I'd faced worse for much of my life. The response I gave though was something that I had only been capable of much more recently, since Jane had entered my life.

"Well Commander, perhaps the fact that I was taught both manners and decorum, something that has obviously eluded you despite your years of service" He took a step towards me.

"Listen you, I don't have to take this shit from some fucking Boston reject, why don't you just fuck off out of here and leave this to the real cops" Sharon went to speak but I held up my hand, stopping her as I shot her a quick, apologetic look, before I looked back up into the Commander's angry visage.

"As a ranking civilian within the LAPD I do not take orders from you, in fact as stipulated in my contract with the department, the only person who can give me orders is Chief Pope, everyone else from Deputy Chief down makes polite requests, which I can choose to support at my discretion" I smiled politely as I continued. "If you have an issue with my performance you are feel free to take it up with Chief Pope if you so desire however Commander, do not under any circumstances whatsoever, presume to give me orders" He shook his head even as he sneered at me.

"Arrogant rug-munching bitches, what's the force coming to?" I stared up at him even as the thumb and little finger of my left hand started to rub together, something Jane has already told me is one of my 'tells' when stressed or angry, in this case it was both which drove me on.

"Your well known homophobia is neither appropriate nor wanted Commander" He shook his head.

"I should have known you dykes'd stick together, too many of you sicko's in the force these days" I let one eyebrow rise, as I glanced at Sharon, seeing the anger in her deep green eyes, before turning back to Taylor.

"Commander, my sexual preference is not an issue here; instead the issue is that you seem to be unable to demonstrate the manners and bearing expected of a senior officer within the LAPD. The fact that you are a sexist, misogynist lout unworthy of your uniform or your position is simply a further demonstration of how unfit you are for your place within the LAPD" He was suddenly looming over me, his coffee-tainted breath strong in my face.

"I don't give a shit who you think you are, no one speaks to me like that" I forced myself to remain calm as I stood my ground.

"Then I suspect you will be learning to make an exception for me" He stared at me through narrowed eyes, finally speaking barely loud enough for me to hear.

"This isn't over you pretentious dyke ho, you'll soon learn why people don't cross me" I desperately remained impassive in the face of his threat as he spoke again. "I'd watch your back bitch, cause one day soon I'm gonna be there when you least expect it" Sharon stepped forward and spoke in an obvious move to distract Taylor.

"Is there anything else Commander, or can we all get back to work" He looked at her for a moment and then let his eyes track back to me.

"No, we're done here" Taylor grinned in an entirely too nasty manner. 'For now" With that he turned and strode away, leaving us standing in the corridor. I was furious, to treat Sharon like that, especially in front of her fellow officers, it was quite frankly unforgivable, let alone his behavior with me. Sharon stood there for a moment, having removed her glasses she was pinching the bridge of her nose, her eyes closed, no doubt trying both to focus and stave off the onset of a probable tension headache. I glanced around, seeing officers and civilian employees of the department watching us, raising my ire at their gawking.

Angry, I drew myself up and stared around at the curious spectators, watching as most of them suddenly ducked back out of view as I did. One sergeant seemed impervious to the implied reprimand, prompting me to speak.

"Sergeant, no doubt you have work awaiting you" He glanced across to me as I raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you might be good enough to turn your attention to that" Jane says that when I wish to I can be coldly intimidating; feeling that need, plus the anger inside me, I levelled him with a harsh stare, letting some of the anger I was still feeling bleed into my voice."Now!" He left.

Turning my attention back to Sharon I rested my hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right Sharon?" She sighed, dropping her head for a moment before looking back up at me.

"I will be, thank you Maura" I shook my head.

"Not all all, the man is a boor" I got a tentative smile.

"That's probably the politest thing anyone's said about him in a long time"

"What set him off?" I left the superfluous addendum 'this time' unsaid. Sharon shrugged eloquently.

"He apparently learned that I had recommended his division's officers be subject to requalification with weapons, together with the requirement that they complete a number of courses in firearms safety, weapons discipline and critical incident management" She shrugged lightly. "Given the number of incidents involving Robbery / Homicide Chief Pope had little option but to sign off on them" I looked at her and smiled.

"The fact that it was Commander Taylor's division of course had no bearing whatsoever on your decision" She smiled and we both knew the answer. Sharon slipped her glasses back on and waved in the direction of her Division, her natural manners surfacing.

"I'm sorry that you got dragged into that Maura, you didn't deserve that" I shrugged as I followed her into her squad room. "May I ask what brought you up our way?" I smiled.

"I was actually wondering if you might be available to go running tomorrow morning, that is if you are up for it?" She looked over her shoulder and nodded.

"I'd like that, though we'll have to start a little earlier" At my raised eyebrow she smiled, a little tiredly. "We have the Senior Officer's meeting tomorrow morning and given what's happened, I can't afford to be late, it'll be seen as a sign of weakness on my part" I nodded slowly, I had momentarily forgotten the meeting in the press of the events just past, my mind already considering the situation as we entered her office. Sitting I looked up.

"What do you plan to do in response to Commander Taylor's inexcusable behavior out there?" Sharon sat back, slumping slightly in her chair as she looked back at me.

"Nothing really, I can't really go running off to complain every time someone says something nasty about me, that's pretty much par for the course in FID"

"Sharon, he was not just abusive but intimidating and acting in a threatening manner towards you" I shook my head. "He has no right to treat you in such a manner, it is both bullying and harassment and you should not be subjected to such treatment" Sharon just smiled tiredly.

"I've had worse Maura, but thank you for your concern" She favoured me with a lob-sided half-smile, half-grimace. "You learn to grow a thick skin in this job" She forced a wider smile as she changed the subject, letting me know that the subject was closed.

"What time should we meet and where?"

Leaving her office a few minutes later, I paused for a moment, standing waiting for an elevator, considering all that had happened; as the doors opened I stepped in, my finger hovering over the button for the morgue level, before changing and selecting the floor for Major Crimes.

Sharon may not feel there was anything she could do, however that did not mean I was willing to let things be, perhaps together Brenda and I could think of something.

She was my friend and as Jane often said, friends look out for friends.


	33. Chapter 33

**Intersecting Lines Book 2**

**33 Rising Sun Gardeners **

Jane's viewpoint

The team had spent two days following Hasegawa and Hyakuta, real names Otomo and Arima, all over Los Angeles, watching as they worked their way through over a dozen houses over both days, their job giving them a perfect opportunity to case a property; they could wander round the house, standing near windows to check inside a house and all with a perfectly valid reason to do so.

The majority of Rising Sun Gardening's clients fitted the profile of our victims perfectly, upper middle class Asian families, all doing well, but not wealthy enough for the extensive security systems that more wealthy folk would have, including security personnel. Watching them work from a distance through binoculars, Provenza and I rapidly came to the conclusion that if we didn't move fast, one of these houses would end up getting some uninvited guests sooner rather than later. A conclusion shared by Gabriel and Tao, who'd followed them on day two and spotted them taking surreptitious photos of several of the properties with their phones.

At the end of day one we'd followed them to a modest, nondescript apartment complex on West 159th Street in Gardena, only a few blocks from Larry Flynt's Hustler Casino. Calling back to the office got the team moving on checking it out; it turned out the place was a rental, they'd taken a lease on the place for six months, paid cash up front to mollify a landlord who was a little concerned they had no references, it turned out the landlord had inspected the place two weeks before to make sure everything was OK and found it to be generally clean and tidy, well as much so as you'd expect from two young guys living in a place would be.

Less than an hour later we watched them leaving again, trailling them at a distance to see their car parking in the Casino car park and them heading inside, Provenza following them in to find them both playing at the low stakes Pai Gow Poker tables, winning some, losing some and trying to hit on the Asian female dealers. According to him their luck with both was pretty poor. While he kept an eye on them I'd spoken to the casino's head of security, he'd confirmed after talking to his people that they'd been here before, almost regulars, something confirmed by the casino's CCTV tapes, playing Pai Gow exclusively. By the time they wrapped up it was almost eleven and I was beat, so we handed over to Sanchez and Flynn who'd cover the night shift.

By the end of day two Brenda had called in Tony Ikeda, Rising Sun Gardening's owner. We'd found nothing out of the ordinary in his background so Brenda decided she needed to talk to him, find out what he knew. He'd been horrified to learn we'd believed there was a connection between his company and the home invasions, he knew one of the family's personally and he'd played golf with the father at a charity golf day a few years ago. Watching him sit across the table from Brenda answering her questions I figured he was clean, something Brenda obviously agreed with as she changed tack after a few minutes and refocused on our suspects.

She asked him about his two new hires, to learn that he'd taken them on at the recommendation of his chief bookkeeper, a Judy Kimura. She'd apparently told him of two young guys recently arrived from Japan who were looking for a new start in America, they needed a job and were willing to work hard and weren't afraid to get their hands dirty doing that hard work. He'd taken them on as a favour to Kimura, who'd apparently worked for the company for a decade and a half, he didn't have a bad word to say about her, apparently she was as straight as they came, never a single hint of anything wrong for as long as she'd been with the company, first under his dad, then him.

Digging deeper we learned that it was after a recent trip to Japan with her elderly mom that Kimura had asked Ikeda if they had any job spots for a couple of young guys who had recently relocated from Japan. Ikeda also told us that Kimura had almost nothing to do with our two yakuza gardeners since then, she'd passed on the request that he take them on as a favour, once he had, she didn't really interact with them at all. They nodded politely if they passed her in the corridor but that was it. Ikeda had been honest, neither man was all that skilled but they weren't afraid of some hard work, they turned up on time, did their jobs reasonably well and he'd had no complaints from his clients about them. He'd shrugged and said that as far as he was concerned they'd turned out OK.

It was obvious after about an hour of questioning that he had no knowledge and wasn't involved in the home invasions, so we sent him on his way, cautioning Ikeda to say nothing to anyone as the investigation was ongoing, the team gathering around the murder board as we added what few new facts we had to the board. It became obvious that we needed more details to fill in the gaps, so I was despatched down to call on Ana to get her involved in chasing down what Kimura had been up to on her trips back to Japan.

Four hours later and we had a few more answers, we'd found that Kimura went back there at least once a year, taking her elderly mom back home to see her family. A quick call from Ana to Superintendent Genda had started an investigation over there which rapidly turned up some interesting facts. One of Kimura's cousins on her father's side was a 'face man' for the Yakuza, not a member of the clan, instead a trusted outsider, a lawyer who did a lot of quiet work for the Inagawa-kaï.

That set alarm bells going but a full-on background check of Kimura had turned up very little else; she was a never married only child who spent her time when not working looking after her elderly mother, her father having died five years earlier. She apparently took her mom home to Japan for a couple of weeks once a year to see her remaining family, she was pretty much your poster child for a law abiding citizen, her sole interactions with the police being several parking tickets and a speeding fine for being 4.5 miles per hour over the limit on a highway two years back, obviously she'd encountered one of those anal California Highway Patrol cops who'd been behind on making the quota for his shift. Even other cops loathed the CHP Nazi's, most didn't think they were real cops, in fact he standard LAPD joke was they were so good at riding their patrol bikes because they were so well balanced, with a big chip on each shoulder.

It looked like we'd have to get Kimura in for questioning, which could end up tipping our hand to the Yakuza if she was in fact not as innocent as she seemed. Flynn, Provenza, Sanchez and I were debating the pros and cons as Brenda refereed when we got a call from Tao, still out running surveillance with Gabriel; our suspects had gone home, got cleaned up and changed and were heading out, downtown towards Little Tokyo. Brenda had listened and nodded to Tao as they followed our suspects, advising him to keep us informed. I was all for heading down to Little Tokyo, but then patience was never one of my strong points, something Maura points out from time to time, well almost every day actually.

While they might be heading somewhere to meet up with other members of the clan, it was just as likely they were heading out to dinner or a club, so rather than rolling everyone out, Brenda advised us to let our families know we might be home a little late and then waited. Thirty minutes passed slowly, leaving me wondering what was the hold up, only to be reminded by Flynn that it was the ass end of peak hour and traffic jams were a fact of LA life for everyone, including Japanese gansters. We were still going back and forth, arguing the toss, when Brenda's phone rang, silencing everyone.

She didn't speak much, nodding amid "uh huh's" and 'right's", then suddenly looking up at the board, taking in all the information there before suddenly smiling, telling them we were on our way before ending the call. Spinning to look at us she suddenly smiled.

"It appears that our suspects have gone out to dinner" I frowned and I wasn't the only one, Provenza putting it into words.

"Why are we rolling out then?" The Chief just smiled at him, speaking as she sautered over to the big board, her eyes fixed on some point halfway down one side as Sanchez spoke.

"Maybe they just want dinner?" Brenda's smile just got wider as she glanced playfully over her shoulder at him as she tapped the board gently, the click of her nail loud in the quiet room.

"Quite possibly Detective, on the other hand what's the likelihood that of all the restaurants in Los Angeles they could choose to eat at they'd end up eating at Lotus Story?" I frowned for a second, before my eyes saw the name written on the board, connected to our mystery woman who'd worked at UPS, she'd given the restaurant's street addresses as her home address. I was already standing and grabbing my jacket as Brenda turned and smiled. "I'd have to say that's a little unlikely, and Mr Kurita did say the Inagawa do like using restaurants as covers for their activities" I nodded.

"Looks like Japanese food again"

Two hours later I was walking into the restaurant, ostensibly to pick up take out, but really to try and find our missing gardeners, we had the front and back doors covered but they hadn't emerged and we couldn't see them from the street so someone needed to head inside and check it out. I'd volunteered, I was bored and hungry so I'd looked up their menu online, relieved to see it was a wide range of Asian food rather than strictly Sushi which I hated, I'd explained my plan to Brenda who'd agreed, then got everyone else's order and called it in, waiting ten minutes before walking in. As expected I was told it wasn't ready yet, giving me plenty of time to stand around and look over the diners, not seeing either Otomo or Arima anywhere.

Looking round I asked where the ladies was, to be pointed towards the back of the place, not far from the entrance to the kitchen; walking over I checked it out but it was just a door opening onto a short corridor to a pair of doors marked male and female, glancing over my shoulder at the door behind me, I walked up to the gents, seeing the door wasn't locked and quickly ducked my head in, finding it empty. Walking back out, I took a different route back to the front, looking for another doorway out, finally seeing one in another corner of the room.

There was a screen which blocked the doorway from the direct view of the patrons, so I sucked in a breath and walked over, stepping behind the bamboo screen and opening the door, looking round. There was a set of steps to my right which led upstairs, obviously to rooms upstairs. There was also a hard-faced Asian guy standing on the stairs who looked up at me as I did, shaking his head.

"Private! No entry!" I just smiled and played dumb.

"Oh sorry, I was looking for the ladies" He was unimpressed, waving me back.

"Not here, other corner. Now leave" I held up my hands in the universal 'sorry' gesture.

"Yeah, no problem, sorry" I started to back out, but not before getting a look past him at the upper floor, it looked like it was apartments up there. What cinched it though was seeing another head appear at the top of the stairs, looking down, it was Arima.

Five minutes later I walked out with several bags of take out, wandering back around the corner to the van Brenda was running the surveillance from. Opening the door I hopped in and pulled the door closed behind me, sitting and opening the bag, reaching in to pull out her Kung Pao chicken and handing it over before speaking.

"OK, it looks like this is the place" Brenda took the take out container and some chopsticks with a raised eyebrow as I kept unpacking. "Apartments upstairs accessed from a set of stairs in the right rear corner, a guard on the stairs but it's definitely the right place, I saw Arima upstairs" Brenda nodded then turned, keying the mike and calling the rest of the team round to collect dinner. A couple of minutes later and the van was crowded with the team, all happily demolishing dinner, which was excellent. Finally Gabriel paused long enough to look over at Brenda.

"So what now Chief?" Brenda shrugged.

"We wrap up for the night, we can always find our two gardeners easy enough if we have to, but it's the top people we want and it looks like they may be in there" There were nods around the team as she continued. "So in the morning we call in DDA Hobbs and get a warrant and tomorrow night we come back here, hopefully we can wrap it up after they close, when the public's not around"

"Y'know Chief, I kinda hope we don't find anything" Brenda turned to look at Flynn, not saying anything; her raised eyebrow said it all. Flynn raised his hands in a 'I surrender' gesture. "We've only just found this place and I kinda don't wanna shut it down, this chicken curry is amazing"

There were groans and eye rolls all round but I noticed no one argued, we were all too busy eating.


End file.
